Holy Twins
by rekfish
Summary: This story is a Claude and Rena coupling, and occurs about three years after the game's storyline. The Ten Wise Men have returned, and it's up to Claude and Rena to stop them again. Kudos to Tails12 (user ID 545295) for all his help since chapter 11!
1. Prologue

When the journey of the Sorcery Globe had ended, the party was sent back to Expel, and continued their lives as before.   
  
That red-headed snoop named Chisato Madison traveled to Lacour, where she started her own newspaper called The Lacour Gazette.   
  
The renowned pharmacist known as Bowman Jean returned to his hometown of Linga and began to expand his little business. He also approached his dear wife Nineh, with the desire to start a family.  
  
Opera Vectra and Ernest Ravide had repaired their spacecraft once they returned to Expel and blasted off to Tetragenes. Ernest stopped running off on archeological assignments without Opera knowing and together they began to take their relationship through more serious steps.   
  
The lone stranger that fought only on his own behalf, Dias Flac, returned to Arlia to pay his respects to the grave of his deceased family. Then he continued traveling, to Lacour for the Tournament of Arms, and also for a personal reason of his that would soon open up his heart to a young woman.  
  
Treasure hunter Celine Jules had begun a romance with Prince Clother of Cross during the Sorcery Globe investigation. As soon as she set foot on Expel, she had the desire to bask in the warm loving glow of her Prince. Gathering family and friends, her wedding was held.  
  
And yes, the heroes too, began to build a relationship.   
  
Claude had decided to stay in Arlia. He cited Expel's peaceful environment and happy cities and people as his reason for staying. He had another reason though.......  
  
And Rena had finally learned who she was and where she came from, and understood it all. Since that goal of hers was reached, Rena had another goal set up that she hoped in her heart would come true........  
  
*******  
  
"So you've decided to stay in Arlia?" Rena asked Claude as they sat together on the bridge in western Arlia.  
  
"Yes," Claude answered quickly. "Arlia is such a tranquil village. Its people so happy and accepting of one another. The other cities of Expel are grand as well. Such a beautiful planet to grow up in."  
  
"But what of Earth?" Rena sadly remarked.  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"You would always talk of Earth. It is your home. Don't you want to go back to it. You will probably be needed to continue your father's work....."  
  
At the mention of his father, Claude felt his heart heave. He desperately missed his father, as any child would. Claude felt his eyes begin to well up with tears and quickly turned away so that Rena would not see him cry. "They don't need me," Claude blurted out as he struggled to wipe away the falling tears.  
  
"Claude?" Rena, concerned, edged towards him and held him. "I'm sorry I brought that up. Of course, you still miss him."  
  
Claude said nothing but stared down into the murky river water below. He had wiped away all the tears, but as he looked at his reflection in the water, he saw the image of his father, and one single tear rolled silently down his cheek and dripped down to the water below, creating a spiral of ripples in the water.  
  
"I'm sorry Claude," Rena tried to comfort him.  
  
"No, I'm all right," Claude protested. "It's nothing."  
  
"It is not nothing," Rena spat out. "Your father was a great man. Everybody admired him. His life, now, is gone. But you must realize that he is not completely gone. He will live forever in our hearts. We will never forget him and he will never forget us. And he is watching over you, knowing that you will make him proud."  
  
Claude looked up and turned to face Rena. He was wide eyed, unbelieving of Rena's faith in his father, whom she had never met.  
  
Rena took Claude's hands in her own and held them tight. "Never forget who you are, Claude Kenni. You are the son of a great man who accomplished much, and I know you will do the same." She smiled at him and solemnly nodded her head.  
  
Claude looked back at the river, feeling ashamed. "How can you have so much faith in a person you have never met?" he asked her.  
  
Rena then felt a deep pain as she remembered the image of her mother. She felt as if she would cry. She released Claude's hands. "I used to have no memories of my real mother. We took a risk with the investigation of the Sorcery Globe and through that, I finally realized who I was. I saw my mother in that record at the Heraldry Weapons Laboratory on Energy Nede. I have the faith that my mother loved me. I know that she did, and still does. She is in a world now, with those who have met the end of their physical lives. She's there, with your father." Rena tried her best to hold back the tears, but they came anyway.  
  
"Rena!" Claude held her tight as if the world were coming to an end.  
  
Rena just held him tight and continued to sob.   
  
After a while, Rena accepted what had happened in the past and stopped crying.  
  
"You okay now?" Claude smiled at Rena.   
  
Evening was settling on the little village of Arlia and the two of them were all alone outside.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine," Rena told him.  
  
"You're right. They are watching us. We will always remember them." Claude agreed with what Rena had said earlier. "They will witness the great events of our lives. When we find love, and......." Claude trailed off.  
  
Rena looked up at him and Claude lost concentration. Claude found himself to be staring at Rena intently, lost in her physical beauty. He examined her facial features, which were draped in her cream- white skin, smooth, and glowing in the moonlight. Her eyes blinked and exposed beautiful blue irises, as blue as the night time sky. Rena's hair curtained her forehead and head, and shone shades of violet, blue, and turquoise in the light, and nestled within the folds of her hair sat her precious gold crescent hairpin, and it too shone in the glowing moonlight. And her lips, were blazing a fire red, and begged to be tenderly kissed by a secret love. Rena's crimson lips parted and softly smiled, while her eyes, half closed, pleaded for a romantic moment.  
  
"Yes, Claude?" Rena softly chanted in her heavenly voice.   
  
Claude couldn't answer. He began to become lost in his emotions for Rena. He felt a strong attraction to her, and was sure it was love. He began to lean towards her.  
  
"Rena, I....." Claude tried to explain what he felt for her, as he had been longing to do for a long time. His heart thumped wildly as he began to feel a passion for Rena.  
  
"Claude," Rena began, "remember when, during our Sorcery Globe expedition, we became stranded on the continent of El?"  
  
Claude, because words failed to come through him to answer, just nodded.  
  
"Well, when you arrived in the colony of the refugees of the city of Eluria, I expressed how happy I was to see you alive by hugging you. And then I told you how I truly felt towards you. Do you remember what I said?"  
  
Claude, still overwhelmed, remained silent and nodded once more.  
  
"Yes, you remember. I had said that I didn't want anyone but you."  
  
"Is there something you need to tell me about that?" Claude finally found the words.  
  
"Yes." Rena looked down into the creek below the bridge. "I saw you, just now, as you looked at me."  
  
Claude quickly snapped out of his trance and sat straight up.  
  
"No one has ever looked at me that way before. You looked at me deeply Claude. My mother, Westa, told me to watch out when a boy looked at me the way you just did."  
  
"What!? I mean, why? Is it bad? Cause I'll stop if it bothers you......."  
  
"No! No, Claude. Its alright. It isn't bad."  
  
"What did Westa tell you?" Claude scratched his head.  
  
"Westa told me that when my father, her husband, looked at her that way for the first time, she realized that he felt deeply for her."  
  
"So.......what does that have to do with me?" Claude pretended he didn't know what Rena meant. But he did know.  
  
"Well, when she told me about it, I didn't understand what she meant, but now I know, because of what you just did."  
  
Claude fidgeted nervously with the straps on his gloves, but didn't say anything.  
  
"Claude, do you feel that way for me?" Rena asked him and looked intently into his eyes.  
  
"Well, I........." Claude didn't look at her.  
  
"Claude, I need to know. Because, well, I have those feelings for you." Rena searched Claude's face for a sign.  
  
As Claude heard Rena gently say those words, he turned to face her, and their eyes locked. Once more, Claude found himself studying her face, but her eyes more so. Rena's eyes showed him her deep inner being, her feelings and emotions, and he finally understood her soul as it had been struggling to show him her being so many times before.  
  
Without words, Claude tenderly clasped Rena's hands in his own, and leaned closer to her than he had never been before. He inched towards her face, as he wanted to present her lips with their secret wish.  
  
"Rena, I'm sorry I've never told you or showed you how I felt. But I truly and deeply care for you, and now that we understand each other, I feel that we can become closer." Claude stared intently into Rena's baby blue eyes, and then began to close them as his lips gently brushed against hers.  
  
Claude was filled with a passion for Rena that he had felt to a lower degree before, but now it was much, much stronger. The thought of his confession to her finally brought a relief down on him as he lightly encircled Rena's waist with his arms, and drew her in closer.  
  
Rena too, felt a serenity as her mind was freed from a barrier of fear of what Claude felt for her. She felt a deep happiness, as she had learned that the youth she loved felt the same way. As Claude pulled her in close, Rena wrapped her arms around his neck, and allowed a single tear of joy to slide down her cheek.  
  
During all these thoughts, the warm kiss continued, and displayed the romantic moment that they had been longing to share together for a long time.  
  
After a twinkling of showing their passion for one another, the two released from the lip lock, and each took a deep breath. But they continued to stare fiercely into each other's eyes.  
  
This time, Rena found herself examining Claude's appearance. Her eyes wandered over his tanned skin, that showed some small scars from childhood. She then explored his eyes, which were navy blue in colour, and gazed steadfastly into her own. Claude's sandy blond hair was frizzy, and dangled in wisps all over his head from his scalp. Lastly, Rena inspected her love's lips. They had been dry and chapped before their forbidden kiss, but now they were moist and warm, from feeling the heat of passion with their smooch.  
  
"Whoa," Claude finally gasped.  
  
"Claude," Rena, still in Claude's arms, continued to gaze upon him. "I truly love you."  
  
"Rena, I feel the same. I love you," Claude pulled her in tighter.  
  
"I wish we could be like this forever." Rena sighed happily. "But, we must go home before Westa worries," she pulled away from him.  
  
"Oh, yeah," Claude remembered that it was evening. But at that time, night was falling.  
  
"We must go back," Rena reluctantly said.  
  
"Yeah." Claude stood up, but continued to hold Rena's hand.  
  
Together they walked towards the eastern part of Arlia, where Rena's and the Mayor's houses were.  
  
Claude walked with Rena towards her front door.   
  
"Claude, words cannot describe how much love I have for you. I truly and deeply care for you." Rena wrapped her arms about Claude's neck and leaned in close.  
  
"Yes I know. I wish I could say something that would show you how I feel. But I can't think of one word. Perhaps we should make some up......" Claude smiled.  
  
Rena laughed. "If only we could," and she leaned in close to allow for their lips to touch for a goodnight kiss.  
  
When they finally pulled away, Claude reached over and opened the front door of Rena's house. "Goodnight, Rena," Claude softly chanted in Rena's ear as she stepped inside her house. He brought her hand up to his lips, and tenderly kissed it.  
  
With a warm loving smile on her face, Rena returned his farewell with a peck on his cheek. "Goodnight," Rena slowly closed the door.  
  
Claude then turned and walked towards the Mayor's house. Because Claude had decided to stay in Arlia, Mayor Regis had offered to share his home with Claude.  
  
Before he opened the door of the Mayor's house, Claude paused a ran through his mind the newly discovered images he had discovered. Images of Rena, of the throbbing passions he felt for her, and of the love she had for him which he finally knew.  
  
But then Claude felt a fear. A fear of what would happen to the friendship that was between him and Rena. He had enjoyed the fun times they had together, and the times when they could tell each other anything.  
  
"Will those moments change?" Claude thought to himself. "Will they change now because of our love? Now anything we do together is probably going to be related to or based on our love. There's nothing wrong with that, in fact I'm very happy that we feel the same way about each other. But will everything we do now be something to benefit our relationship?"   
  
Then Claude felt a reassurance. He felt pride and encouragement to show all people how much love he had for Rena. "No, nothing will change. Our love will deepen our friendship. Now we can tell each other absolutely anything and it won't hurt our feelings of friendship for one another. We can do anything together and have love in everything we do. I truly love Rena, and nothing at all can change that."  
  
With a satisfaction in his heart for what he had accomplished, Claude pushed open the door of the Mayor's house and entered.  
  
"Where have you been all evening?" Mayor Regis's voice asked Claude. "You missed dinner."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, sir," Claude apologized as he faked a yawn. "I'm really tired so I might as well just go to bed." He stretched his arms way out and the scratched his head.  
  
"Of course," Mayor Regis smiled warmly. "Goodnight, Claude."  
  
"Goodnight, sir," Claude replied as he walked up the stairs.  
  
*******  
  
Rena was very happy that Claude felt the same way for her as she did for him. She desired nothing more than to be with Claude for all her life. She truly loved him and hoped that some day, Claude would consent to Rena's wish and they could be married.  
  
Claude too, was amazed that Rena had these strong feelings for him, and he loved Rena deeply. He had never felt these emotions for a girl before and felt that maybe this meant that the two of them were meant to be together. But he had no idea if Rena felt the same for him.  
  
As Claude and Rena began to grow deeper in the relationship, the villagers made allowances for their love.  
  
Westa was at first a bit afraid, but was comforted at the fact that the man Rena was in love with was someone she knew and was kind and caring. Mayor Regis accepted the romance, and encouraged the two to express their love in any way they could.  
  
Three happy years passed with Claude and Rena loving each other strongly and truly. After that time, when Rena turned 20 years old, Claude decided that their love was strong enough to take the next big step.......  
  
*******  
  
Rena sat on the ledge of the bridge that crossed the small creek in western Arlia. For about 20 minutes she had sat there waiting, waiting for Claude. He had asked her to meet him at the bridge, but he hadn't shown up. Rena would have left, but Claude had said that it was very important that she meet him that afternoon, so she waited.   
  
Rena saw that Lucia was playing with a toy sailboat in the river behind her.  
  
"Be careful that you don't fall in," Rena warned the little boy.  
  
"I am, Big Sister Rena," Lucia smiled at her. As Lucia stood up, he slipped and fell into the water.  
  
Rena was instantly by his side as she pulled him out of the water.  
  
"Are you okay?" Rena asked him as she tried to dry his hair with her cloak.  
  
Lucia looked up at her, tears welling up in his eyes. "I scraped my knee!" Lucia wailed and buried his face in her cape.  
  
"Now, now," Rena comforted the weeping child. "I can heal it." She leaned down and gently touching the wound on Lucia's knee, she willed the cut to be healed. Instantly the skin regrew and the bleeding stopped.  
  
"Thank you, Big Sister Rena!" Lucia reached up and gave Rena a strong hug.  
  
"Oh, your welcome, Lucia," Rena laughed.  
  
"Lucia! Its time for supper!" a woman called in the distance.  
  
"Oh, boy! Daikon Miso soup!" Lucia licked his lips as he hastily picked up his sailboat and ran off. "Thank you!" Lucia waved back at Rena.  
  
Rena smiled to herself, then resumed her position on the bridge. She looked through the gates of the village, to the horizon, where the sun was setting.   
  
"He'd better come soon," Rena thought to herself. "Mother is going to want me to come home for dinner."  
  
Just then, Rena's eyes were covered by someone's hands from behind.  
  
"Guess who," a familiar voice questioned her.  
  
Laughing, Rena, with the hands still on her eyes, turned around to face whoever the person was. But she knew who it was. She felt the person's face, then inched towards it, and kissed it on the lips.  
  
The person removed their hands, then placed them on Rena's hips and drew her close, but Rena kept her eyes closed, as she continued to kiss the person.  
  
Finally, she stopped, pulled away, and opened her eyes.  
  
"Aww.......it's no fun when you know its me," Claude complained.  
  
"Here's a kiss to say I'm sorry," Rena leaned close and kissed him again.  
  
"Have you been waiting long?" Claude asked her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"Only a few minutes," Rena lied. "So what's this important thing you had to discuss?" she looked intently into his navy blue eyes.  
  
"Well," Claude pulled away and then leaned over the side of the bridge to look down into the rippling river water below. "Rena, today is the anniversary of that time 3 years ago when we confessed our love for one another."  
  
"You want to celebrate it?" Rena leaned over the bridge as well and watched a fish swim up the shallow stream below.  
  
"Yes, but in a different way," Claude began to fumble with something in his jacket pocket.  
  
"Whatever do you mean?" Rena expressed a puzzled look on her face as she turned to face her lover.  
  
"Well, we love each other deeply, Rena. With each passing day I feel a pain when we are parted. It aches me when we cannot be together. This throbbing desire I have to be with you becomes stronger every day. I feel that we should make some kind of a commitment to each other. I can't bear any minute that we are separated. Now, more than ever, I feel that I need to fulfill my urges to be with you forever. I cannot deny these feelings of earnest hunger that I have whenever you are near me. And because you are now 20 years old, I feel that together we can make that promise."  
  
"Claude," Rena, still with the look of puzzlement on her face, asked earnestly, "can you explain to me what you are saying?"  
  
"Rena," Claude looked up from the river and deep into her eyes. He raised his hand to her face, and gently stroked her cheek. Then he moved his hand to underneath her chin, and delicately drew her face towards his. He then compassionately planted a warm, loving kiss on her lips.  
  
"Claude," Rena began to tremble with the cold air of the evening.  
  
"I'm sorry I had come this late, Rena, but I urgently need to ask you something, now." Claude stood up and pulled Rena in close, sharing his body warmth with her.  
  
"You can tell me anything, love," Rena pulled in very close and hugged him tight.  
  
Claude took a deep breath. "As I had said before, I desperately need you by my side now more than ever, Rena." He deeply sighed and pulled out a jewelry case from his pocket. "I feel that now you are old enough to complete my life."  
  
"Oh, Claude!" Rena gasped as Claude carefully stooped down on one knee.  
  
"Rena, I was late because I had to quickly retrieve this from Salva." He opened up the small case, and turned it towards Rena.   
  
Rena peered down into the box, and gulped. Inside was a gleaming gold ring with a beautiful diamond, in the style of an engagement ring.  
  
"Rena," Claude swallowed hard and stared intently into her eyes. "Will you do me the honour of allowing me to become your husband?"  
  
"Oh, Claude!" Rena knelt down beside him. Claude took the diamond ring from the box, and took Rena's left hand into his own. He picked out her ring finger, and placed the ring on it.  
  
Rena began to daintily cry, but these were not tears of pain or sorrow, these were tears of complete joy. Rena's heart skipped a happy beat as she realized that her goal had been met. To keep the moment sacred, Rena said nothing, but leaned towards her love, and kissed him long and serious, love shining everywhere around them.  
  
After a few minutes, the couple released from the kiss. Rena continued to sob, and Claude held her tight.  
  
"I love you more dearly than life itself," Claude told her, and kissed her on the cheek. "I would wish for nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you."  
  
Rena gently pulled away, so that she could look into his eyes. She saw total love and faith deep within Claude instruments of vision, and trusted that.   
  
Slowly, Claude stood up, and held on to Rena tightly, as her body was quivering from the evening breeze and what she felt at that joyful moment. Rena struggled to keep her footing, she felt no balance - all she felt was the love she had for Claude.  
  
Softly, Claude whispered in Rena's ear, "You haven't given me an answer."  
  
Rena quietly whimpered.  
  
"Rena? What's wrong?" Claude became worried.  
  
"I'm just so happy," Rena managed to say. "My love for you is greater than words can describe. I just can't believe that you just asked me to marry you. But I have faith in our love and you, and my only desire is for us to be together forever. Claude, love of my life, it would complete my life were we to get married, and yes, I will marry you."  
  
Rena collapsed into Claude's arms. Claude silently enveloped Rena in his adoring embrace, and Rena gazed passionately into his eyes. Love surrounded the two, who were finally engaged to be wed.  
  
And there, in the early moonlight, the lovebirds shared an engagement kiss, one that they would cherish in their hearts and remember forever, as it was experienced between them, alone, in a moment that could never be ruined, a moment when they confessed their complete love for one another, and decided to make the commitment to be together for the rest of their physical and spiritual lives.  
  
As they lovers continued to embrace and share the engagement kiss, Rena heard a familiar voice in the distance, calling her name. Rena began to pull away, but was so full of adoration for Claude and the magical moment, that she drew even closer to her love, and held tightly, as if the world were coming to an end.  
  
The person calling came closer, and Claude saw the figure in the shadows. He tenderly loosened from Rena's embrace, and ended the passionate kiss. He turned to face the being who was calling Rena's name.  
  
Still holding Rena's hand, Claude approached the person, and asked, "Yes, what do you want?"  
  
"Forgive me, children," Westa apologized and then turned to Rena. "Mayor Regis and I were waiting for you two so that we could start dinner."  
  
"Oh, Mother! I'm so sorry! I completely forgot!" tugging on Claude's hand, Rena ran towards her house. "We mustn't keep Mayor Regis waiting!" Westa quickly followed her daughter and Claude.  
  
*******  
  
"That was a delicious supper, Westa!" Mayor Regis praised Rena's Mother's cooking. "Your corn pottage always tastes devine!"  
  
"Yes, thank you for inviting me to supper, Westa," Claude said. "It was all very delicious." He looked towards Rena.  
  
Westa blushed. "Oh, it was nothing, really. You should taste Rena's shortcake. Rena, be a dear and retrieve it from the kitchen."   
  
"There's dessert, too?" Mayor Regis marveled.  
  
"Yes, Mother," Rena started to get up from her seat. Before she did, she reached towards her glass of orangenade, with her left hand, to drink the last of it. As she did, Westa noticed the light glint off a piece of jewelry on Rena's ring finger.  
  
"Oh, Rena! What a beautiful ring! It looks like gold and diamond!" Westa stared at the ring.  
  
Rena quickly drew her hand away, "Yes, Mother, it is a real gold and diamond ring."   
  
Mayor Regis now became aware of the stunning piece of jewelry. "Rena, why are you wearing it on your ring finger?" he demanded as he scratched his head and pointed at it.   
  
"It's an engagement ring," Claude piped up as he took Rena's left hand into his own and held it out so that the adults could inspect the ring.  
  
"AN ENGAGEMENT RING!?" Mayor Regis and Westa inquired at the same time.  
  
"Yes," Rena began, "Mother, Mayor Regis, Claude and I are engaged to be wed." Rena turned towards her future husband and hugged him close.  
  
"Oh, Rena!" Westa stood up from her seat and reached over to embrace her daughter.  
  
Mayor Regis extended his hand towards Claude, "You are so lucky to have Rena," Mayor Regis warmly shook Claude's hand.  
  
*******  
  
For the rest of the night, the dinner party discussed Claude and Rena's future wedding. They completely forgot about Rena's shortcake.  
  
They planned out the wedding for the beginning of the next month, which didn't leave much time for preparation.  
  
Westa told them that before they got married, they had to find a place to live. But that was going to be her gift to them. The carpenter in Arlia, Mr. Bossman, was in need of a nanny for his children, since he was often away from home, doing his work. Westa decided to take the job, and she could move into the guest room of Mr. Bossman's house. That way, Claude and Rena would have Rena's household to live in.  
  
Many toasts of good fortune were dedicated to the newlyweds. But Rena felt that the most benevolent and touching speech was made by her childhood friend, Dias Flac.  
  
"I have not been to Arlia for a long time," the swordsman began, "but I can now see what has been happening. Love surrounds you, Claude and Rena, never must you abandon that emotion. Love can sometimes be confusing, its often hard to see what it truly is as it takes many forms. We can only see this feeling with our hearts. Only our heart knows the secret of love and can define the sensation into our language, so that we can understand it. But even if we understand it, we never know it entirely. No one person can see love in its entirety. But, on this day, I think that two people have harnessed the power of passion. Claude and Rena can see love, in each other, as they have that feeling for one another. They are truly meant for each other. I hope that someday, I too may find happiness in a person, and that I can live my life with them forever once I am very sure that we were meant to be. Love is always everywhere, it picks its victims by fate. Claude and Rena, you are two of love's destined, and on this day you have confirmed that," here, Dias paused, and took a deep breath. He glanced over to where Claude and Rena sat, and for the first time since his family's death, Rena saw Dias smile. "With each passing day, starting today, you will grow closer to each other until your souls have connected to create one spirit. The future shows many new and important occurrences in you lives together. You will experience joy and sorrow, and a wide array of new and different feelings, but always you shall feel love," and with those last words, Dias sat down. 


	2. Separated

Every day Rena revived Dias's speech in her mind, and it made her feel very special and loved. But it also saddened her. She never knew Dias's real feelings for her and if they had been deeper than friendship, Rena knew she would feel terrible. But she loved Claude, and Dias actually saluted that. So in that, Rena saw that Dias did not feel bad, that he was proud that she had married the man she loved.  
  
Into the first year of their marriage, Rena soon discovered that she was pregnant.   
  
To relieve any stress because of her condition, and to get exercise, Rena took a daily walk with her husband through the Shingo Forest. They also often had picnics there as well.  
  
Seven blissful months went by. Then a terrible incident happened that separated the two lovers........  
  
*******  
  
"Let's see," Rena said as she packed the picnic. "A thermos of Daikon Miso soup, egg sandwiches, shortcake, coconut milk........."  
  
"Don't forget the chocolate crepes," Claude sang as he set the thermos in the picnic basket.  
  
"Oh, yes!" Rena remembered as she grabbed the box of crepes and put them in the basket.  
  
"So is junior giving you any trouble today?" Claude laughed as he pulled Rena close and placed his hand on her stomach.  
  
"Not yet," Rena giggled as she leaned forward to kiss Claude. "Come on, we'd better get going," she picked up the picnic basket and holding Claude's hand, headed for the door.  
  
As the couple walked through Shingo Forest, they marveled at the newly growing flowers that stretched up towards the early afternoon sunlight. Claude picked a little yellow flower and presented it to his wife.  
  
As they walked the dirt path that led into the depths of the forest, a noise rang through the quiet air.  
  
"Did you hear that?" Claude stopped and listened close.  
  
"Hear what, love?" Rena had no idea what he was talking about.  
  
All of a sudden, the sound rang again, but this time, it didn't stop, it continued. Rena heard it now. It was low, as if it came from far away. And it sounded, Rena thought, just like the rocket Opera had used to return to Tetragenes with Ernest.  
  
But Claude knew exactly what the noise was. It was a distinct sound, specific to the craft that emitted it. The sound was of the engines of a spaceship that belonged to the Earth Federation. The engines belonged to a model of ship that was exactly the same as his father's old ship, the Calnus. But this starship, which he could hear in the distance, was only a third of the size of the Calnus, and was usually used for rescue missions.  
  
The noise grew louder, as if the spacecraft were approaching.  
  
"WHAT IS THAT?" Rena had to yell in order to be heard. She clutched tightly to the picnic basket and Claude's hand.  
  
Just then, a large dark object soared through the air, just above the tops of the trees.   
  
Claude watched as the rocket hovered in the heavens for a few moments, and then land in the forest clearing just ahead of them.  
  
"Follow me!" Claude tightly held Rena's hand and ran to where the spacecraft had landed. Rena, still clutching the basket, followed.  
  
When they reached the clearing, they saw a great door on the back of the black object open and a person emerged. The flying machine, was indeed, the spaceship that Claude knew it was.  
  
The person, a middle-aged woman, was wearing navy blue trousers and a sea-captain style jacket that was also navy in colour. The jacket was covered in many badges, and atop the woman's brown hair, which was put up in a bun, sat a black Commander's hat - like the kind of hat Claude's father used to wear.  
  
"Stand back, Rena," Claude warned as he released her hand and approached the woman.  
  
As Claude advanced towards the woman, the woman straightened herself up and saluted Claude. Claude did the same.  
  
"Ensign Claude C. Kenni," the woman barked. "Is that your name and position?"  
  
"Yes my name is Claude C. Kenni," Claude answered, "but I am no longer an Ensign."  
  
"That is correct," the woman grinned. She reached into her jacket pocket and produced a black object that resembled Claude's old communicator. She opened a section of it and bellowed into the perforated surface, "He is Commander Kenni."  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Claude demanded.  
  
The woman moved the black object away from her lips. She stretched out her hand, motioning for Claude to shake it, and said, "Come with me, Commander Kenni."  
  
"I am not a Commander!" Claude blurted out.  
  
"Please come with me, Commander Kenni," the woman asked again.  
  
"I already told you, I am not a Commander! I am not going with you!" Claude took a step back.  
  
The woman raised the black object to her mouth again, "Commander Kenni refuses to obey. Retrieve him," she barked into it.  
  
Just then, several men, clothed in the same outfit as the woman, but also wearing yellow sashes, emerged from the spaceship. They walked right towards Claude and the woman.  
  
Rena, afraid, approached her husband and stood behind him.  
  
The woman raised one hand and pointed her index finger at Claude. "Seize him," she barked to the men.  
  
"What!?" Claude was suddenly surrounded by the men. The men then tried to apprehend Claude. Claude struggled and tried to get away.  
  
"Claude!" Rena screamed and ran to his aid. But she was held back by one of the men. She fought with the man, but he was too strong for her.   
  
She dropped her picnic basket. As it crashed to the ground, the food spilled everywhere, and the thermos broke into many pieces, spraying Daikon Miso soup everywhere.  
  
Rena continued to fight, even though she knew that the stress was hurting her baby. She tried to use her spells, but she became so tired that none of them worked.  
  
Claude had a small dagger with him - he had it on him at all times in case he encountered trouble. He slashed out with it, causing a deep gash to be formed on one of the men's arms. But nothing could stop the men. The men eventually knocked Claude out with a blow to the head, and started to drag him on board the ship. The woman followed.  
  
"Claude!" Rena dug her nails deep into the facial flesh of the man that held her back. The man yelped in pain, then slapped her. Rena fell down to the ground from the force of the smack. The man followed the woman into the ship.   
  
"Rena!" Rena heard Claude yell out one last time. Though her vision was blurred, Rena watched as her husband was pulled onto the ship, and the door closed. Then the spacecraft whirred to life, and started to rise from the forest floor. After hovering there for a few seconds, the ship lifted up and away from the forest, and flew away.  
  
"Claude," Rena whimpered as she fell unconscious. 


	3. Wrath

"Where are you taking me!?" Claude demanded as one of the strong men pushed him into the Commander's living quarters of the ship.  
  
"You'll keep yur trap shut if ya know what's good fer ya!" the man bellowed and he locked the room door as he left.  
  
Claude looked at his surroundings. The room looked much like an inn room from the inn in Cross, but this chamber was much more glamorous.   
  
Then he saw a small window, just above the bed's headboard. He rushed to it, hoping to see the land of Expel outside. Instead, he saw the planet of Expel just below the craft, as it was hovering above it, in space.  
  
Claude gingerly touched the bump on his head, where he had been hit during the struggle. He also saw that his arms and legs were cut, scratched, and bruised. His dagger was missing. He stood up to look in a mirror that was hanging on the wall. Claude noticed that he had a black eye and a deep gash that stretched from his temple to his jaw.  
  
As Claude started to walk back to the window, he felt extreme pain all over, and collapsed.  
  
"If only Rena were here," Claude thought. "Rena!" he gasped. "What happened to her!? Oh, Rena! I failed to save you!" Claude felt deep sorrow at the possible loss of his beloved wife and child.  
  
Claude struggled to get to his feet, and looked out the window once more. At lovely Expel, the world of his love, Rena.  
  
"Rena......." Claude wailed as he collapsed on the bed and fell unconscious.  
  
*******  
  
"Oooooooh,........where am I?" Claude gasped as he awoke. As his eyes became used to his surroundings, Claude realized that he was still on the ship, but not in the Commander's living quarters. Because he was lying on a stretcher, with his chest bare, and that a man in a white coat was leaning over a table covered in medical equipment, Claude assumed that he was in the hospital portion of the ship.  
  
Suddenly, the door at the end of the room opened and the woman who first approached Claude on Expel entered.  
  
As the woman noticed that Claude was lying on the stretcher, she quickly stood erect and saluted him. Claude sat up a bit, but did nothing.  
  
"And how is Captain Kenni feeling?" the woman warmly questioned.  
  
The man in the white coat, Claude thought to be a doctor, turned towards Claude and began to tend to his gash on the side of his face. Claude winced in pain, but still, did nothing.  
  
"Come now, Claude," the woman said kindly and stepped forward, "you must remember me?"  
  
Claude remained silent. Ignoring the woman, he viewed the cuts and scraps that grazed his abdomen from the fight.   
  
The woman then reached into the top of her jacket, and from within the folds of her blouse underneath, pulled out an oval shaped gold locket on a gold chain.  
  
Claude began to pay attention and sat up more comfortably as the woman took the necklace off and handed it to him with a smile.  
  
Claude opened the dainty pendant, which stretched out to show 3 frames that contained photos of his late father, mother, and himself at a young age. As Claude calmly stroked the pictures, he realized something. He looked more closely at the woman, then turned to the image of his father in the locket. He glanced back and forth at the two beings for a few moments, then gaped in awe as he saw the resemblance.  
  
"Yes, Claude," the woman said, as if she knew what Claude was thinking. "I am, indeed, related to your father. I am his sister Rachel, and your aunt."  
  
"So why am I here now?" Claude demanded as he examined the pictures further. "And what position is yours in the Earth Federation?"  
  
"I am the Commander of this spacecraft, the Tolden. My most recent mission was to examine the planet you were on, and I found you, Claude. Earth is in need of your help, and the Earth Federation has plans that require you. I had to bring you here using force as your presence in this plan is vital to its survival, and you refused to come with me. Thank goodness we finally found you! The plan will soon be carried out," Commander Rachel folded her hands in front of her and smiled at Claude.  
  
"Why am I so important?" Claude demanded.  
  
"You are in no condition at this time to understand. You will be told later on," Rachel stood up and turned to leave. But then she stopped. "How you have survived this long on such a hideous planet has been a mystery to all of us in the Earth Federation." then she started to leave.  
  
"STOP RIGHT THERE!!" Claude yelled at the top of his lungs.  
  
"Yes?" Rachel turned back and smiled.  
  
"You cannot say that! Expel is a better planet than Earth shall ever be! The environment is crisp and clean, and nature is more beautiful than Earth's prettiest girl. And the people are friendly and kind!" Claude shouted and he started to get up from the stretcher.  
  
"You mean that ugly fat girl that you were with down there?" Rachel spitefully asked.  
  
"THAT GIRL IS MY WIFE!!" Claude screamed as he threw Rachel's locket to the ground with such force, that it shattered. He then lept at her.  
  
"Oooof!" Rachel was forced into a corner by Claude.  
  
Claude grabbed the collar of his aunt's jacket and lifted her up off of the floor. "Rena is my wife! I love her! She is not ugly! She is not fat! She is pregnant! And you harmed her and my unborn child!" Claude's eyes blazed with hate for his aunt as his grip slowly choked her.  
  
"Commander Kenni!" Rachel gasped as she began to loose breath. Her eyes began to roll back into her head, but Claude continued to hold her up tightly.  
  
The doctor had been watching everything, and had been so afraid of Claude's anger to do something, that he had cowered back into a different corner of the room. Now that he saw that Commander Rachel's life was in danger, he lifted up a stool that was by the stretcher, and brought it crashing down on the back of Claude's head.  
  
Claude fell back from the force of the chair and the pain it brought to his head. He released Commander Rachel and held his throbbing head.  
  
As Claude did this, his aunt caught her breath. To make sure that Claude wouldn't come back after her, and to get revenge for what he had done to her, Rachel brought her knee up hard, into Claude's unprotected abdomen.  
  
"Stop that!" Rachel sneered as Claude collapsed to the floor.  
  
Heaving hard and holding his stomach, Claude hatefully looked up at his aunt and spat the words, "Why must you treat your nephew this way?"  
  
"You are delirious and disoriented from your time on that disgusting planet down there," she mocked. "You act on anger. You must realize that Earth is your true home and that you are now a Commander. Your refusal and rejection of these facts gives me no other choice than to use force to make you understand."  
  
As Commander Rachel spoke, the doctor nervously knelt down beside the aching Claude. Into Claude's left arm, the doctor inserted a needle, and injected him with a greenish liquid. All at once, Claude felt weak. With this drug now inside him, Claude knew that he couldn't rebel, even if he wanted to. But he knew that the chemical would soon wear off, and when it did, he would have vengeance on his aunt.  
  
"Now lie still as the doctor repairs your broken body. Then you will sleep peacefully until I come to tell you what you are to do," Commander Rachel ordered as she and the doctor lifted Claude's limp body up from the floor and laid him back on the stretcher. "If you refuse to follow these orders, you will face punishment." Rachel then retrieved her damaged necklace from off the ground and left the room.  
  
Claude didn't hear what she said. He was beginning to fall unconscious from the drug. His vision blurred, but he saw the doctor approach him again and begin to sew up the gash on his cheek.  
  
"Rena.......," Claude whined as he slipped into darkness. 


	4. Alone

"Claude!!" Rena screeched as she sat bolt up. Then she felt something on either side of her trying to force her to lie down again.  
  
"Please lie still, Rena," a familiar feminine voice pleaded. "You've been injured, and ill."  
  
As Rena became adjusted to her surroundings, she realized that she was in Claude and her bedroom, in her house, and that her mother, Westa, and Mayor Regis were on either side of the bed, and were the people fighting to get Rena to lie down.  
  
"Claude!!" Rena yelled again and struggled to be free from her mother's and Mayor Regis's grasps.  
  
"Calm down, Rena!" Mayor Regis sternly shouted at her.  
  
With that command, Rena allowed them to force her back.  
  
"Rena, please get some rest. You are not well," Westa continued. "Thank goodness we found you."  
  
"Where's Claude?" Rena begged.   
  
Westa and Mayor Regis exchanged concerned looks.  
  
"Tell me!!" Rena bawled.  
  
"Just get some rest, Rena, please!" Westa worriedly ordered.  
  
"Mother!? Please let me go!! I must find Claude!!" once more, Rena strived to break away.  
  
"Please, Rena!" Mayor Regis commanded.  
  
"Claude!" Rena started crying.  
  
"Rena, please, you must calm down," Westa implored. "You have been injured. And the doctor must examine you to make sure that no harm has come to your baby."  
  
Rena held her swollen abdomen. "My baby........." she trailed off.  
  
"Yes, Rena," Westa moved Rena's hand away from her belly as the doctor came in, "the doctor is going to help you."  
  
"Claude," Rena whimpered as she dropped off to sleep.  
  
*******  
  
When she awoke, Rena found herself tucked in under the warm blankets of her bed, alone, in the room.  
  
Just then, the bedroom door opened, and in walked Westa, with a tray covered in food.  
  
"Oh, Rena, you're awake," Westa noticed her daughter yawn. "I've got a lovely breakfast for you."  
  
"It's morning already?" Rena wearily asked as she sat up and stretched.  
  
"Yes, dear. We thought you'd never be able to sleep."  
  
"Why, mother?"  
  
"You were delirious and ill, sweetheart." Westa began pouring a tall glass of orange juice.  
  
"I was?" Rena looked down and stroked her pregnant belly.  
  
"Yes. But don't worry about that dear. We must talk."  
  
"Of what, mother?" Rena had no idea what she was speaking about.  
  
Westa inhaled a lot of air before she began speaking. "Rena, yesterday, you and Claude had gone on your picnic, as usual."  
  
"Claude!!" Rena suddenly remembered that her husband was missing.  
  
"Rena!" Westa ran over and grabbed Rena by the wrists.  
  
"Oh, mother!" Rena broke down and began weeping. Westa sat with her daughter, and held her.  
  
But she continued her story. "Rena, dear. I must tell you, so that you can then tell me what happened." Westa then turned her face so that she could look her daughter in the eyes.   
  
Rena solemnly nodded her head in agreement. 


	5. Crisis

"I've got to find a way to get back to Expel," Claude paced the ship's meeting room. He had fallen unconscious in the hospital room while the doctor was stitching his gash. When he woke up, Claude discovered that he was in some sort of meeting room. His cuts and sores were all repaired, and he found that he was wearing an outfit exactly like the one his father used to wear.  
  
The drug had almost worn off, and Claude decided that he would cooperate, as he knew that he would be no match against any of his aunt's strategies.  
  
But before, his aunt had asked him if he remembered her. Claude did not. He resolved to ask her about the past, and what had changed in the Earth Federation during his time on Expel, and why he was so vital to this plan he kept hearing about.  
  
Just then, a door at the far end of the room opened, and four men and his aunt entered the room. The men were all wore the same outfit as Rachel.  
  
The men all sat down at the long table in the middle of the room.   
  
As Rachel seated herself at the head of the table, she motioned for Claude to take the seat beside her and said warmly, "Come sit down, Commander Kenni."  
  
Claude walked over beside his aunt, and sat in the empty seat.  
  
"It was fortunate that you awoke just before we came in," Rachel talked to Claude but smiled at the men. Then Rachel spoke to the men directly, "Commander Kenni was very tired when I found him, so I insisted that he take a nap before we had this meeting."  
  
Claude did not object to his aunt's lie.  
  
"Now, gentlemen," Rachel folded her hands in front of her, "Commander Kenni has not been informed yet of his position in the Earth Federation's strategies in the battle."  
  
"There's a fight going on?" Claude interrupted.  
  
The men glared at Claude.  
  
Rachel tried to laugh. "Forgive Commander Kenni, gentlemen. In his absence from the Earth Federation, he has not become adjusted to his new duties and responsibilities of his position."  
  
One of the men turned to Claude and smiled. "Commander Kenni I believe that it is I who is responsible to explain to you your importance in the Earth Federation's involvement in the conflict going at this time between Earth and the enemy forces."  
  
Claude studied the man's appearance. He seemed to be older than his aunt, but had a glint in his eyes that showed he was still a playful youngster inside. The man smiled warmly at Claude, and Claude decided that this was the person that he had to become an acquaintance with in order to find a way to return to Rena.  
  
"Please tell me your name, sir," Claude acted mature and also folded his hands in front of him.  
  
"My name, Commander Kenni, is Russel Saunders, and I am second in Command on this ship, the Tolden. At this moment, I am in Commander Rachel's service. But there has been talk at the Earth Federation, that, because of your retrieval, I may be put into your command, sir. Though I may seem unable to uphold my work in the Federation, as my age continues to have a grasp on my health, I will achieve anything you desire to have completed, when I am put in your command."  
  
"Thank you, Second Commander Saunders. I would be proud to have you on my staff. But at the moment, I am afraid that I have no idea what this fight is or I am to do in it." Claude cast a glance towards his aunt, then turned back to Russel.  
  
"Well, Commander Kenni, it is quite the long story. Perhaps Agent Sinclare, here can explain what has happened so far in the fight," Russel turned to the young man, who was younger than Rachel but older than Claude, and asked him to explain the tale.  
  
The young man stood up, and walked to the front of the room, where everyone could see him, and introduced himself. "I, Commander Kenni, am Agent Robert Sinclare, and am the reporter for another ship, the Calnus II, which will soon be in your command."  
  
"The Calnus II," Claude silently repeated the name to himself, and began to think of his father. "Please, go on, Agent Sinclare," Claude urged the man.  
  
"Yes, sir," Robert agreed. "Now, as we at the Earth Federation all know, almost three short years ago, we lost the dear and great man, Commander Ronixis J. Kenni, when his ship, the Calnus, was blown up by a mysterious force."  
  
Claude shielded his eyes from the sights of his aunt and the men, so that they wouldn't see him if he started crying from his emotions over the loss of his father.  
  
Agent Sinclare continued. "About a year ago, a satellite, called Maya XVIII, that was used by the Federation to transmit messages from ships already in deep space back to the Earth Federation Headquarters, sent back to headquarters a disturbing communication. I was present in headquarters when the message was received. It was a video message, that displayed a woman."  
  
"A woman, huh?" Second Commander Saunders stroked his smooth chin.  
  
"Yes, sir," Agent Sinclare confirmed it. "The message was not completely understood, we at the Earth Federation believed the woman to be suffering from the air on the planet she said she resided on."  
  
"And what planet was that?" Claude inquired.  
  
"It was the planet known as Milocinia, Commander Kenni," Agent Sinclare told him.  
  
"Milocinia!?" Claude jumped up from his seat.  
  
"Please sit down, Commander Kenni," Rachel politely said.  
  
"Have you heard of Milocinia before, Commander Kenni?" Second Commander Saunders asked.  
  
"Yes I have," Claude stood up and began pacing the room.  
  
"Is something wrong, sir?" Agent Sinclare asked.  
  
"No, Agent Sinclare," Claude sat down again. "Please, continue."  
  
"Yes, sir," Agent Sinclare agreed. "We at the Earth Federation believed that she must have been suffering from the air there because a few months earlier, a surveying team was sent to Milocinia to engage in a scientific study. The team found traces of toxins in the air, which were the product of a spaceship which had crashed there. There was nothing in the crashed ship that would show the team why the toxin was coming from it, and because of the high content of the toxin in the air, the team was driven back, as they couldn't breathe. They left the planet, and didn't return, until we had received the message with the woman, then a different team was sent there to investigate the woman's reasons for being there."  
  
"What exactly was the woman's message?" Claude questioned.  
  
"Well, sir, it was quite strange, I must say. She proclaimed that the galaxy would soon come under her rule, as she had acquired the power of a planet called Nede. We had no idea what she was talking about, since there is no planet called Nede in the galaxy."  
  
"Nede!" Claude gasped. "That's where Rena was from!"  
  
"I beg your pardon, Commander Kenni?" Rachel demanded.  
  
"Nothing of your concern, Commander Rachel," Claude waved her question away.  
  
Rachel crossed her arms and pasted on a look of upset, but didn't argue.  
  
"I'm sorry for interrupting, Agent Sinclare," Claude apologized. "Please, continue."  
  
"The woman told us that if we did not find Commander Ronixis J. Kenni's son, Ensign Claude Kenni, and bring him to her, that she would destroy Earth."  
  
"Did you find out why she wanted me?" Claude demanded and leaned forward in anticipation.  
  
"No, sir," Agent Sinclare slowly shook his head. "She would tell us nothing more, so a team of the finest men from the Earth Federation were sent to Milocinia, to find the strange woman, and ask her some questions. I went with the team, to act as the reporter. The team went equipped with gas masks, so that they would not inhale the toxins in the air. But when they arrived on Milocinia, they found the air to be clean and free of the toxin. They searched the planet for the woman, then stumbled across a dome shaped structure. They found a way inside, and discovered the remains of the same crashed spaceship, from a few months ago, inside. As they studied their surroundings, they discovered a machine."  
  
"A machine.........," Claude thought about that long time ago when he was on Milocinia, and the machine that transported him to Expel in the first place.  
  
"The team analyzed the machine," Agent Sinclare continued, "and discovered that its make-up used a set of coordinates to transport solid beings to a certain planet. The coordinates that we discovered in it were a set that described where an underdeveloped planet was in the galaxy. Commander Rachel took on the mission to study this planet, and just by luck, she found you." Agent Sinclare swung his hand in Rachel's direction, and Rachel sat up proudly, and smiled.  
  
"Yes," Claude agreed. "So what else did they find on Milocinia when they were looking for the mysterious woman?"  
  
"We looked over the crashed spacecraft, and discovered a mineral inside."  
  
"A mineral?" Second Commander Saunders asked. "What kind of mineral? Did the scientists analyze it?"  
  
"No, sir, they couldn't. As the team recovered the mineral, a woman's voice that was singing was heard. The team turned to the direction from which the sound was coming from, and saw a young woman floating in the air above them. The woman was wearing a worn gown, that was red in colour, and over that, she wore a white robe. Her strawberry red hair was swirled in a mass of tangles and her feet were bare and had 5 cuts on each of them. She pointed at the scientist who was holding the mineral and said, 'Unhand my child!'. The head scientist, Albert Fisher, demanded to know who she was. The woman threw back her head and laughed. Then she said, 'I am Filia! I am the daughter of the man who created the dreadful Ten Wise men! Indalecio is coming again!'.   
  
"Indalecio!" Claude gasped.  
  
"Just then, a twister seemed to evolve in the area within the dome, and it swept the mineral into the air. The team clutched onto the only solid objects there, the rock, and watched as the mineral soared through the air and into Filia's waiting hand. Then with her free hand, Filia opened up her robe, and a great blue cloud, in the form of a thin man with long hair, emerged. The cloud hovered in the hurricane in front of Filia, and then it spoke, 'I am Indalecio! The new dawn of the Ten Wise men is coming!'. The woman then held the mineral out into the heart of the cloud, and said, 'This crest will be the death of the entire universe!', then she laughed horribly. Then Fisher bravely addressed the woman, 'Filia!' he said, 'Why will this happen?'. Then Filia screeched, 'The Ten Wise Men will deal with Ensign Claude Kenni because Claude is the person who killed the Ten Wise Men!'. Fisher, flustered, demanded, 'But I thought you said the Ten Wise Men were coming! They can't come if they are already dead!'. Filia then chuckled, 'Silly mortals! This stone, The Crest of Annihilation could not be destroyed by Ensign Claude Kenni! It became dormant and appeared to be destroyed when the Ten Wise Men were killed! When I, Filia, learned of their destruction, I was happy! But then I was ravaged by the souls of the Ten Wise Men! They possessed me! And now I am in their service! And I have their power!'. To prove that what she said was true, Filia then stretched out the hand with the Crest of Annihilation and raised her other hand in the air. In her hand in the air, a fireball began to form. When the fireball was as large as her head, Filia flung it towards Fisher. Fisher ducked, and the fireball seared the rock it landed on. Then Filia continued, 'I have much more power than that! Fear me, puny  
  
Earthlings! Unless you bring to me the one called Ensign Claude Kenni, you will all perish!' Then the cloud that was hovering in front of Filia roared and soared through the air towards the team. The men all scrambled back out of the dome, but the cloud still pursued us. Filia also flew through the air with the cloud, and hurled many more fireballs towards us as we ran. It was a miracle that we made it back on the ship and came back to Earth safely." Agent Sinclare wiped his brow with the back of his hand. Then he went back and sat down in his chair.  
  
"Thank you, Agent Sinclare," Second Commander Saunders acknowledged Agent Sinclare. "Now, I must tell Commander Kenni about the war."  
  
"Why am I a Commander?" Claude asked.  
  
"Please, sir, allow me to tell the story. It will answer your question," Saunders pleaded.  
  
Claude eased back into the chair. "Yes, please, tell me."  
  
"Yes, sir. The team that returned from Milocinia was badly shaken. About a week later, a distinct change in the warm weather outdoors occurred. As scientists were investigating the strange alteration in the temperature and climate, a huge hurricane formed on the horizon. It was bluish in colour, and was in the distinct shape of a thin man with long hair. Agent Sinclare, here, confirmed that it was the twister that had driven them away from Milocinia. As the cyclone twisted, it approached the Earth Federation Headquarters. The scientists all ducked inside the building, as the tornado came directly for the building. We at the Earth Federation prepared for the worst, but discovered that as the hurricane approached the headquarters, it slowly dispersed, until nothing was left. No other trouble occurred, and so we at headquarters just brushed the incident away. The next day, another reporter to the Federation, Agent Stark, was taking a walk just outside headquarters. As he walked through the greenhouse, her heard a woman's voice singing. He located where the singing was coming from, and found a woman sitting up in one of the trees. The woman was wearing a worn red dress, a white robe, and her bare feet had 5 cuts on each of them, and her strawberry red hair was all tangled up. It was the exact same woman on Milocinia that Agent Sinclare described. But Agent Stark hadn't heard of what had happened on Milocinia. Agent Stark was drawn to the woman's beauty, and when she asked him to sit with her in the tree, he climbed up beside her. The woman smiled at him, then continued singing. As she sang, ripples formed in the water in the pond below the tree, and splashed up against their dangling feet. Agent Stark noticed that as the water soaked the woman's feet, the cuts on them began to glow faintly. Agent Stark proceeded to ask the woman's name. In her heavenly voice, Agent Stark described, the woman chanted her title, which was Filia. Just at that moment, Agent Stark received orders on his communicator to get back to what he was working on. Saying farewell to Filia, he climbed out of the tree. Filia didn't say anything, she just stared out to the horizon. Agent Stark asked if she would meet him again, and she nodded her head. Agent Stark turned and began walking away. Then he turned back to feast his eyes on her beauty again. But Filia was no longer in the tree. All that Agent Stark noticed was the faint rippling of the pond water, and a beautiful voice singing in the breeze," here, Second Commander Saunders took a handkerchief from his pocket and whipped his brow. It looked as if he would start to cry.  
  
"Is something wrong, Saunders?" Claude worriedly asked.  
  
"No, sir. I'm so sorry I stopped," Saunders quickly stuffed the handkerchief back in his pocket.  
  
"No need to apologize. Please, continue," Claude urged the old man.  
  
"Yes, of course. While tending to his assignment, Agent Stark told Agent Sinclare, here, about his meeting with the beautiful woman. When Agent Stark described her looks, praised her singing, and told him her name, Agent Sinclare knew that it was the same Filia. He warned Agent Stark, and told him about what happened on Milocinia. But Agent Stark refused to believe, and met again with Filia the next day in the garden. Filia begged Agent Stark to kiss her, and he did. Agent Sinclare, worried for his friend, was spying on the couple, and saw that as they kissed, a great wave formed in the pond, and twisted into the shape of an old man with long hair. Agent Sinclare saw that as the two released from the kiss, the water form lept into Agent Stark's mouth, and began to drown him. Agent Stark fell from the tree and into the pond below. Filia, laughing, flew from the tree and hovered in the air above the pond. The water raised Agent Stark's limp body into the air, and then a glowing halo surrounded it. As Filia sang her lovely song, the body twirled, and was entirely enveloped in the glowing halo. Agent Stark's body soon stopped spinning, and showed that he was wearing a red gown underneath a long white robe, and his hair was red in colour, and very long. Agent Sinclare also noticed that Agent Stark's feet were bare, and that one of them had a deep cut on it. Filia's feet were different now, as one foot had 5 cuts and the other only had 4. As Agent Stark opened his eyes, Agent Sinclare saw that they were glowing fiercely and were red. He stretched out his arms, and Filia was embraced by him. Then Filia laughed, 'Indalecio, my Lord, you now have a physical form to use your powers and to carry out your work.' Then Agent Stark laughed, 'Yes, Filia! This pitiful mortal's body is now in my control. We will need more of these humans for houses of the other nine Ten Wise Men.' Then the two of them were surrounded in the glowing halo, and disappeared. Agent Sinclare came quickly and told me, but I knew that Agent Stark could not be saved. He is now Indalecio," and with that, Second Commander Saunders broke down, and sobbed.   
  
"There, there, Saunders," Agent Sinclare got up from his seat, walked over to where Second Commander Saunders sat, and gently patted him on the back, "we will get Agent Stark back."  
  
"No!!" Saunders yelled. "He is dead! You said so yourself that he was drowned before Indalecio took over his body! My only son is dead!!"  
  
"Agent Stark must have been Second Commander Saunders's son," Claude thought to himself. Then he suddenly stood straight up from the table, "Don't ever say that, Second Commander Saunders!!" Claude yelled.  
  
Everyone at the table stared up at Claude, and Saunders stopped wailing.  
  
"We will get your son back! Have faith! He is not dead, I know it! We will fight to bring him back!" Claude slammed his fist on the table to prove his point.  
  
Saunders looked down at the floor, ashamed. Then he continued, "Soon afterwards, another message was received at headquarters, from Agent Stark. He called himself Indalecio, and demanded to see you, Commander Kenni. He ordered that we meet him in the garden with you the next day at sunset. We were still searching for you at that time, and so met him in the garden without you. Indalecio was furious, and with his powers, formed a huge tornado that ruined the headquarters' shipbuilding yard. He threatened that we had to bring you to him in the next month or he would fully destroy the Earth Federation, and then, Earth. The Federation set out to fight him where he was hiding, on Milocinia, and the war is still going on, with the luck in his favour. We have lost many lives, and now that we have found you, Commander Kenni, perhaps we can end all this bloodshed," Saunders scratched his head.  
  
"But I still don't understand why I am a Commander," Claude looked around at the people at the table.  
  
Commander Rachel then spoke up, "Commander Kenni, we at the Earth Federation have decided that it would be best if you would command your own spacecraft, rather than put up with the frustration of a different crew not following your orders. We therefore have granted you the title of Commander and built a ship especially for you, the Calnus II, which you will fly to Milocinia in. Other rockets have been assigned the mission of protecting the Calnus II from damage, so that you may be able to land on Milocinia safely and confront Indalecio. The rest, we feel, is up to you, as Indalecio has told us you've met before. We do not know what he will do, and so feel that the responsibility of taking him down would best be left to you, Commander Kenni."  
  
"I understand, Commander Rachel," Claude stroked his chin. He now knew that he couldn't abandon the Federation when it was in need. The Earth Federation was in desperate need of his help, and he would have to play hero once more. But then his thoughts turned to his dear wife Rena. What had become of her? Was she okay? He would have to get the message to her somehow that he was alright. The Earth Federation, he knew, would refuse his request to return to Expel briefly and tell Rena of his task. Claude was worried for Rena. He didn't know if she would be able to cope with his time away. And he didn't know how much longer the war would last. His child would be born soon, if Rena was alright........... 


	6. Help

As the days went by, Rena's condition slipped from sickly to dying. She had no energy, and her abdominal pains grew to unbearable. She would eat, but it never seemed to help her. It was unknown if her baby was healthy or how much longer Rena would last. Rena stayed in bed, and Westa waited on her. The doctor often checked up on Rena, but could never determine if she would soon be well.   
  
Rena longed to visit the Shingo Forest, as she felt that its peaceful atmosphere would bring a serenity to her body. But Westa refused to let her go.  
  
During the second week of Rena's illness, Westa left the house to pick up some medication for Rena at Mr. Hearn's store. Rena was asleep when she left.  
  
No sooner had Westa left the house than Rena awoke from her slumber. She noticed that she was alone in the room, and called out for her mother. There was no answer. Sleepily, Rena slowly sat up and stretched. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, then looked out the bedroom window. She saw the sun shining brightly in the crisp morning air, and soon, Rena had the desire to visit Shingo Forest.   
  
On this particular morning, Rena felt rejuvenated, and able to make the walk through the forest by herself.  
  
Rena slowly made her way out of the house, and began walking towards the forest. Since the sun had just risen, not many of the villagers were outside yet, and so Rena was not troubled as she walked across the bridge in western Arlia, and entered the forest.   
  
As soon as she stepped foot in the peaceful shade of the tall trees that took root in the Shingo Forest, Rena felt born again. She was warm and happy and felt as if Claude were with her in the serene landscape.  
  
Rena slowly walked barefoot through the green beauty of the woods, and soon, she came to the area where Claude and her heard that noise of the spacecraft those 2 weeks ago. She was overcome with deep sadness, and fell down to her knees.  
  
"Why!?" Rena wailed to the empty sky overhead. "Why did you take the only thing that meant most to me in the world!? You took my life, you bastards!!" and Rena crouched down to the warm earth, and sobbed her heart out.  
  
Just then, Rena heard a rustling, and noticed that a bush that was growing beside her was shaking violently. Rena sat up, but did not cower away. She didn't care what happened to her. She just wanted to be with Claude.  
  
But then she realized that she was carrying Claude and her child, and, fearing for the safety of her unborn baby, Rena quickly ran and hid behind a tree.   
  
Rena fearfully stared wide-eyed as a young boy emerged from the bush. The little boy was trying to catch a butterfly. Rena looked over him as he gleefully clapped at the tiny winged creature. He looked about 3 years old, had blue eyes and blond hair. As the wind blew back the child's bangs, Rena noticed that there was a third eye in the middle of his forehead.  
  
The boy tried to jump up to get to the butterfly. Instead, his foot got caught on the edge of a rock and he tripped and fell flat on his face. The little boy turned over and sat up, and noticed that he had scraped his knee. When the pain finally hit him, the boy burst into tears.  
  
Feeling sorry for the little child, Rena slowly emerged from her hiding spot and approached the toddler with a warm smile on her face.  
  
The boy noticed her, stopped crying, and watched fearfully as she knelt down beside him.  
  
"Does it hurt a lot?" Rena kindly asked.  
  
The child just nodded his head and pointed down towards his wound, and said, "I scraped my knee."  
  
"I can help you," Rena told him. "All I have to do is touch it and it will heal. Will you allow me to do that?"  
  
The boy wiped his face with his shirtsleeve and nodded his head, "Will you please do that?"  
  
"Yes," and Rena lightly placed her hand over the cut. From her hand radiated a calming aura, which soothed the sore and healed it.  
  
The boy just stared for a moment at his once cut knee. He was a bit afraid at the wonder which just took place in front of him. Then he regained his senses and cautiously asked Rena, "Are you an angel?"  
  
Rena laughed. "No, I am not an angel. I have the power to heal."  
  
"Wow! Uncle Ernest used to tell me that when he saved the universe, he was with a group of friends and that one of the friends could heal people!" the little boy stood up and searched for the butterfly that he was chasing before.  
  
"Uncle Ernest?" Rena thought to herself. "How did you come here?"  
  
The child turned around to face Rena and explained, "Uncle Ernest told me that this planet has a town that has a fighting tournament each year. I begged him to take me to see it, but he was busy with work. So his girlfriend taked me here to see it."  
  
"Your Uncle Ernest has a girlfriend?" Rena stood up and began walking with the child.  
  
"Yes. Her name is Opera," the boy skipped over a rock that was in his path.  
  
"Oh! I used to know an Ernest and Opera that were a couple," Rena told the boy.  
  
"Really!?" the boy marveled. "Maybe you're that person who could heal that he told me about. What's your name?"  
  
"My name is Rena."  
  
"Really!? Cause Uncle Ernest told me that the person who could heal was named Rena too!" the boy jumped up and down and clapped his hands with joy.  
  
"And what's your name?" Rena kindly asked the child.  
  
"My name is Zack!" the boy puffed up with pride and pointed to himself.  
  
"Well, nice to meet you, Zack," Rena reached out her hand, and they shook hands. "So you came here to see the Lacour Tournament of Arms?" Rena asked.  
  
"Yeah!" Zack agreed. "Is that town just outside the forest Lacour?"  
  
"No, that town is Arlia. Its where I live," Rena clarified.  
  
"Then Opera must have landed in the wrong place," Zack angrily kicked a pebble with his foot.  
  
"Don't worry," Rena said, "if you bring me to Opera, I can help you get to Lacour to see the Tournament of Arms."  
  
"You will!? Oh boy! This way!" and with that, Zack raced ahead.  
  
"Hey, wait!" Rena rushed to catch up with Zack.  
  
Finally, the two of them came to a clearing. In the middle of it was a landed rocket, with a woman working at its side, which was opened up to reveal its internal controls.  
  
"Rats," the woman mumbled. "The wires are clipped. Damn dealer! I knew I shouldn't have trusted him!" The woman had long blond hair and wore a leather jacket like the one Claude would wear. She also wore a long black evening gown, with a deep slit cutting down the side, and red high heeled shoes graced her feet. Leaning against the rocket was a long and complicated gun. The woman turned around to retrieve a wrench from the toolbox behind her, and as she did, Rena saw that the woman had a third eye in the middle of her forehead.   
  
"Opera! Opera!" Zack yelled as he rushed towards the woman.  
  
The woman suddenly turned around, and was met by a warm embrace from Zack. "Hi, Zack! What have you been doing?" the woman brushed back her hair with her hand.  
  
Then Zack's story spilled out. "I was chasing a butterfly, then I fell and scraped my knee, and a pretty lady fixed my knee, and she told me that we aren't in Lacour. We're in Arlia."  
  
"What? Slow down, Zack," the woman laughed. "We're in Arlia? I remember that village from a long time ago."  
  
Rena quietly listened from a distance, and then suddenly felt as if she would faint.  
  
"I scraped my knee, but now its better," Zack showed the woman his healed knee.  
  
"Wow! And where is this lady now?" the woman looked around them.  
  
Just then, Rena fell down. She was still conscious.  
  
"Over there," Zack pointed in Rena's direction, just as Rena fell.  
  
"Oh my!" the woman quickly rushed to Rena's side.  
  
"Please help me," Rena begged as she clutched her abdomen, for that's where she felt the most pain.  
  
Then the woman realized who this lady was. "Rena!" she gasped.  
  
Rena then slipped into darkness.  
  
*******  
  
When she awoke, Rena found herself to by lying back in bed, in her bedroom. On one side of her sat her mother. On the other side of the bed stood Zack and the woman from the forest.  
  
"Its okay, Rena," Westa said soothingly. "You're safe, now. But you shouldn't have left the house."  
  
"But mother," Rena began to protest, but was driven back by sharp pains in her abdomen, "Oh!"  
  
Zack shrank back, afraid of Rena because she was hurt. Then he cautiously asked, "If you're hurt, why don't you heal it like you healed me?"  
  
The woman knelt down beside the boy and firmly said, "Because it can't be healed. Its not like your cut, Zack."  
  
"But why, Opera?" Zack pleaded.  
  
Then the woman, whose name was apparently Opera, explained, "Because the pains she feels are because she is going to have a baby."  
  
"A baby!?" Zack marveled. "Wow!"  
  
"Yes, Zack," Rena managed to say.  
  
"Who is the daddy?" Zack asked.  
  
"The father.........," Rena trailed off as her thoughts turned to her missing Claude. Forcing down tears, Rena turned to face Opera. Opera was wide eyed with curiosity, as she, too, was curious to know who Rena's husband was. Finally, Rena said, "The father of this child is also my husband. The father, Zack, is a man named Claude."  
  
"Claude?" Zack did not know who she was talking about.  
  
But Opera knew. Bursting with happiness, she leaned in to give Rena a hug. "Oh, Rena! I'm so happy for you both! You must be so happy for this baby! How lucky you two are! Tell me, where is Claude? He should be with you because of your condition!"  
  
Rena just stared down at the floor and twisted the bedsheets in her hands. Then she placed her hands on her swollen belly, and allowed some tears to fall, "Claude is not here right now."  
  
"I can see that, but...........," Opera was stopped when Westa asked her to step out into the hallway. As the two women left the room, Rena knew that her mother was going to tell Opera what happened to Claude.  
  
"What is the baby gonna be?" Zack climbed onto the bed and put his hands on her belly.  
  
"I don't know yet," Rena told him.  
  
"The daddy, you said his name was Claude," Zack continued. "Who is Claude?"  
  
Rena stared out the window as she recalled the wonderful names she had for her husband. "He was the son of a great spaceship Commander, and grew up to be a hero."  
  
"Wow!" Zack exclaimed. "What did he do?"  
  
"With me, your Uncle Ernest, and Opera, he helped save the universe."  
  
"Wow! How did he save it?"  
  
"He got rid of all the bad men who wanted to destroy the universe."  
  
"Wow! And now he's gonna be a daddy?"  
  
"Yes, and he's very proud."  
  
"So where is he now?"  
  
"Far away," Rena reluctantly told him.  
  
"Will he come back soon?"  
  
"I hope so," Rena stared out the window once more. 


	7. A Plan

"Dinner was delicious, thank you," Opera warmly thanked Westa as she seated herself in a chair by the fireplace.  
  
"Oh, you're quite welcome," Westa returned her thanks and then left Opera and Rena alone by the fire to talk.  
  
"I'm happy you've come to Expel, Opera," Rena told her friend. "I could really use a friend right now."  
  
"Its terrible what happened to Claude," Opera said as she recalled what Westa had told her about what happened to Claude.  
  
Rena looked deep into the heart of the fire, and felt a burning desire to be with Claude as she tried to push away reality. But the tears of sorrow came anyway.  
  
Opera placed a reassuring hand on Rena's shoulder. "I'm so sorry for you, Rena, especially since this is the time when the baby could come at any moment."  
  
Rena placed her hands on her belly, and thought about Claude.  
  
"But I must say, you did pretty well," Opera slyly grinned.  
  
Rena looked up into Opera's face, searching for the meaning of what she had said.  
  
Opera laughed. "What I mean is you and Claude. During the Sorcery Globe investigation, I saw how close you two were becoming, and I knew that it would only be a matter of time before you would take the step and make the commitment to spend the rest of your lives together. You are such a nice couple - so in love too. Its a shame that Claude was taken. But I'm sure he's alright. He can take care of himself, don't worry."  
  
Rena quickly wiped away her tears. "You're right. I should have more faith in him." But Rena still couldn't hold back the tears. "But I don't know if he's dead or if he'll ever come back!"  
  
"Don't ever say that! I know he's alive!"  
  
"How can you be so sure?" Rena mumbled between tears.  
  
Opera took a deep breath. "Because I saw the ship that your mother told me that you saw."  
  
"What!?" Rena demanded. "Why didn't you tell me before!?"  
  
"I wasn't sure what your mother would say."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, if this is the ship that Claude is on, I know that you'll want to go up there to get him back. But in your condition.......Westa would never allow you to go."  
  
"Where is the ship?" Rena eagerly asked.  
  
"Well, when Zack and I approached Expel in the rocket, I remember Zack pointing to a black spaceship that hovered in space just outside of Expel's atmosphere. He kept on telling me about it that I finally turned to look at it. On its side was the crest of the Earth Federation. And then when Westa described the ship to me as you had told her, I knew that it was the same ship," Opera reluctantly told her.  
  
"We must go and get him!" Rena stood up from her chair. "We can go in your rocket ship! We have to!"  
  
"Rena!" Opera regretted telling her of what she saw. "Be reasonable! You can't go now! You're heavy with child and almost near the time of its birth!"  
  
"Opera! Please,.........understand. I have to be with Claude when this child comes. We started this together, and we will be together when it comes. Please! You must understand. I have to be with him......" Rena sat on the floor beside the fireplace and began weeping.  
  
Opera went and sat with her. "Yes, Rena, I understand."  
  
Rena turned and looked up into Opera's eyes to see if she spoke the truth. Rena didn't see any hint of a lie in any of Opera's three eyes.  
  
"We can go to the ship in my spacecraft," Opera solemnly nodded.  
  
Rena gave Opera a strong hug. "Thank you, Opera."  
  
"I'll have to repair my ship. It only carries two passengers, so Zack will have to stay behind. Anyways, I think that it would be safer if he stayed here, on Expel." Opera stood up. "I can probably prepare the ship and be ready to go tomorrow. But I won't take you unless you ask Westa first." Opera turned to leave the room.  
  
Rena got up to go with Opera. "I'll go ask mother now."  
  
"I'll tell Zack, and then go to the forest to fix the rocket. Zack isn't going to be too happy about having to miss the Lacour Tournament of Arms." Opera opened the room door, and the two young women left the room.  
  
*******  
  
"........Rena, are you absolutely sure that you have to do this?" Westa worriedly asked as she walked behind her daughter through the Shingo Forest.  
  
Rena just quickened her pace.  
  
"Please, slow down, Rena," Mayor Regis grasped Rena gently by the arm.  
  
"I must get to Claude as soon as possible," Rena shook away from Mayor Regis's grip and continued to walk quickly towards the clearing in the forest where Opera's rocket waited.  
  
"Rena, please!" Westa stopped dead in her tracks and shouted angrily.  
  
Rena stopped, then slowly turned around to face her mother.  
  
Westa approached her daughter, "Rena, dear, you know that I would permit you to go off to find Claude. But because of your condition, and the fact that you have been ill these past weeks, I beg you to reconsider! Wouldn't you see that your health should come first?" Westa pleaded.  
  
"Of course, Mother," Rena reassured her, "my health would always come before any risk that I would take. But I must do this! Don't you understand? I have to be with Claude when this child comes!" Rena stamped her foot as she angrily shouted the words.  
  
"We understand, Rena," Mayor Regis defended Westa, "But we are concerned for you. Just because you accomplished your quest for the Sorcery Globe doesn't mean that this task will have luck on your side. The Sorcery Globe quest was different. You were very healthy, traveled in a large party of people that had many skills and talents to help, and friendly people assisted you as you ventured from town to town. This journey you're about to take is a risk. You are going to have a baby any day now, you have been ill these past few weeks, you are only with Opera this time, and you don't know how the people outside of Expel will treat you. You must realize that this task is no simple feat, but a life-threatening endeavour," Mayor Regis consoled Rena.  
  
"I'm afraid they're right, Rena," Opera piped up, "I have to agree with them."  
  
Rena fell to her knees. "Nobody understands," and she began to quietly sob.  
  
Zack, who had been holding Opera's hand as they walked, released from his uncle's girlfriend's grip and approached Rena. Sitting down beside her, he admitted, "I understand you, pretty lady."  
  
Rena looked down to the ground.  
  
"Grown-ups don't understand you, but I do. And so would Claude. But he probably wouldn't want you to do this either."  
  
Rena slowly nodded her head in agreement, but continued to cry.  
  
"Grown-ups don't understand you because they don't know Claude like you do," Zack continued.  
  
Rena took her gaze away from the earth and looked into Zack's innocent eyes.  
  
"You know Claude better than anyone because you and Claude are in love," Zack explained. "They don't have the exact same feelings for Claude as you do. Nobody understands that love because it goes really deep and ties your souls. The grown-ups can never understand that. And because of that, they don't understand that you need to do this. You have to be with Claude when this baby comes. You have to because its a very important event in your lives. I think grown-ups should understand you, because they have these feelings with different people. But because this trip of yours is a threat, they don't allow that understanding to surface and tell you all the bad things that can happen. But you are determined, and I understand what you mean and that this is something you have to do."  
  
"Why does no one else except you understand that love, Zack?" Rena asked.  
  
"Because I'm a kid!" Zack grinned and gave Rena a reassuring hug.  
  
Then Zack got up and grasped Westa's hand. "Your mommy has a different kind of love for you," Zack told Rena. "She has mudderly love for you."  
  
"I think you mean 'motherly love', Zack," Rena chuckled between tears.  
  
"Yeah, well, it's different because it makes her worry about you all the time. But it's stronger for her because you're her only child," Zack explained.  
  
"That's right," Westa agreed. She knelt down beside Rena and gave her a very strong hug. "I always worry about you. But I am more worried this time because I fear for your life," and Westa broke down and cried.  
  
Rena returned her mother's hug. "Please don't cry. I am an adult now, and can take care of myself. But I would always acknowledge your concerns first before I take any risks. It's just that in this situation, I have a very strong feeling that this is the right thing to do, and that I must do it," Rena looked up at the sky, as if Claude were looking down at her and approving her decision.  
  
"Yes, you're right," Westa got up and helped her daughter stand up as well. "I just can't help thinking about all the dangers that might be waiting for you out there beyond the safety of Expel."  
  
Rena solemnly nodded her head in agreement.  
  
"We cannot stop you from going," Mayor Regis began, "it's entirely your choice, Rena."  
  
"Yes," Rena agreed, then turned and began walking towards the spaceship once more.  
  
Once they reached the clearing, Opera made some final adjustments on the spacecraft while Rena bade tearful goodbyes.  
  
After hugging and promising that she'd return to her mother, Rena approached Mayor Regis.  
  
Mayor Regis handed Rena a leather pouch. "There are some herbs from the doctor to help with any pains you have from the child."  
  
Rena reached into the pouch. Her hands touched the ragged edges of leaves, the downy veins of roots, and the soft petals of flowers: the herbs. But then her fingers felt something else. A smooth object, one end of which was cylindrical in shape, and the other a sort of box, formed to fit her hand. Grasping the item, Rena began to pull it out of the pouch, to see it better, and in her hand it felt heavy, and had some sort of a trigger on it that could be pulled.  
  
When she had the object out in the daylight, Rena gasped. The item was silver in colour, and a glowing green gem was set into the box end of it. It appeared to be a gun, something that Claude had told Rena he used when training in the Earth Federation.  
  
"Please be careful with that," Mayor Regis suddenly said.  
  
"What is it?" Rena marveled.  
  
"That glowing gem that is set into the grip is the remainder of the LEA metal that was used to construct your weapons for your final battle between the Ten Wise Men," Mayor Regis explained.  
  
"What!?" Rena gasped.  
  
"Those three years ago, when you returned from your quest of the Sorcery Globe, you and Claude had told us the whole story of what happened on your journey. Also, when you returned, you brought with you the weapons you had told me that Dr. Mirage of Armlock on Energy Nede had constructed for you to use in your final battle with the Ten Wise Men. The mineral used in the weapons was unique and rare. By the time I realized what purpose the minerals could be used for, all the weapons except your gloves had lost their powers. I preserved your weapon, having some gut feeling that the mineral would be needed in the future. When Claude was taken, I felt that there would be only one way for Claude to survive -- by having a weapon made of that preserved LEA metal. I took the mineral to Graft Newmann, the great mechanist in Linga, and had him construct a unique weapon which would assist Claude. He constructed what in now in your hands. He told me that it has great power, and is dangerous when placed in the wrong hands. Rena, when you finally find Claude, I advise you to give him this weapon, and he can use it in defeating whatever dangers that meet him," Mayor Regis instructed Rena.  
  
"What is it called?" Rena gazed at its beauty.  
  
"Graft Newmann dubbed it, Holy Twin, though I'm not sure why. He told me that the name foreshadows Claude's future, but I didn't understand him."  
  
"Thank you, Mayor Regis. I will be careful and present the Holy Twin to Claude when I find him," Rena tenderly placed the weapon back in her pouch, then gave Mayor Regis a hug.  
  
Opera approached Rena from behind. "We're ready to go," she said. "Has anyone seen Zack?"  
  
"Here I am!" Zack jumped out from his hiding place behind a bush.  
  
"Oh, Zack!" Opera laughed. She knelt down to the ground and Zack rushed into her arms in a warm embrace.  
  
"I'm gonna miss you, Opera," Zack began to cry.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry I couldn't take you to the Lacour Tournament of Arms, Zack," Opera apologized.  
  
"Don't worry about that," Zack smiled up at her between tears. "Next year, I'll make Uncle Ernest come with us as well! Besides, I've been having lots of fun here in Arlia! This boy Lucia showed me how to make a sailboat like his and he and I are going to have a race on the river with them today!" Zack cheerfully explained.  
  
"Well, I'm glad you made a new friend," Opera smiled. "Don't worry, I"ll come back soon, and Rena and I will bring Claude back with us."  
  
"I'm really gonna miss you," Zack gave Opera a very strong hug before releasing from her grip. He then stepped down to the ground and approached Rena.  
  
Zack looked up at Rena, "Don't have the baby while you're gone," Zack told her, "I want to see it when you have it."  
  
Rena crouched down to the ground at his level. "I'll try and make sure that I come back to Expel before it is born, but I can't make any promises. The baby will come when it is ready, and I don't know when it will be ready. I'll just have to wait and see."  
  
"Oh, okay," Zack agreed. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Zack's hand dove into his pocket, and searched for something. When his hand reappeared, he had a crumpled up cloth object in it. "When Lucia and I were picking flowers in the Shingo Forest yesterday, I found this," Zack reached up to give the item to Rena.  
  
Rena took the object from Zack and uncrumpled it. She gasped once she realized what it was.  
  
"Lucia told me that it belonged to Claude, so I thought I should give it to you so you can give it back to him," Zack explained.  
  
Rena gently stroked the worn fabric of the glove in her hands. It did indeed belong to Claude, and a badge on it had a crest with the words 'Earth Federation' on it. Just touching it made Rena feel close to Claude, and convinced her that he was still alive. "He must have lost it during the struggle," Rena whispered to herself as she put the single glove on her left hand, the hand it was designed to fit. Then Rena knelt down to Zack, "Thank you, Zack," she hugged the three-year-old. "I'll miss you when I'm gone, but I promise to return, and when I do, you will be able to meet my baby."  
  
"Okay," Zack agreed. He returned Rena's hug, then went and hugged Opera again.  
  
One last time, Rena turned and hugged her mother, then Mayor Regis. Then she turned and told Opera, "We'd better go now."  
  
Opera took Rena's pouch and placed it in the spacecraft. Then she helped Rena get into the ship.  
  
As Opera was getting into the rocket, Rena looked out and at her mother and Mayor Regis. Westa as crying, but smiled as she waved goodbye and good luck to her daughter. Rena tearfully waved back, but knew that she had to go through with this mission.  
  
"All ready, Rena?" Opera asked as she flipped a switch in front of her. The rocket engines roared to life. "No regrets?"  
  
"I'm sure," Rena sighed. "Let's go."  
  
Opera pressed a red button, and the dome roof of the ship swung silently and slowly closed. She then flipped another switch. "Here we go!" Opera exclaimed.  
  
Suddenly, the spacecraft lifted up off the ground, and slowly levitated up into the air.  
  
Rena looked outside, at the people waving goodbye. Westa, Mayor Regis, and Zack stood there in the clearing, tearfully shouting good luck. The group grew smaller and smaller, and so did the Shingo Forest, as the starship hovered up into the morning sky.  
  
Westa watched as the mass of metal, glass, and blazing fire flew away from the safety of Expel. She was afraid for Rena, but tried to have faith in her. Though she cried, she knew that her daughter would return -- Rena always kept a promise. 


	8. Preparations

As Claude hastily viewed the maps and charts laid out on the meeting desk, he felt tired. Since he would have to participate in the battle to defeat the Ten Wise Men again, he saw it wise to review information he had been taught when in the Earth Federation, as he had forgotten most of it in the past three years.  
  
Just then, there was a soft knock on the door.  
  
"Come in," Claude called as he wiped his sweaty brow and stood up from his chair and stretched.  
  
"It's getting late, Commander Kenni," a beautiful woman walked in carrying a tray with a steaming teapot and teacups. "Perhaps you should save this work for tomorrow and get some rest now."  
  
"Thanks, Christa," Claude approached the woman and took the tea service from her, and set it on the desk.  
  
Christa Brice was an assistant on the Tolden, working in the ship's infirmary, kitchen, standing watch on the bridge, or doing any odd jobs that needed to be done. She could do anything. While Claude was on the Tolden, Christa would be his personal assistant. A funny thing though, because Commander Rachel, Claude's aunt, had designated Christa to be Claude's assistant for a certain reason.  
  
When Claude was just a child, and starting in the Earth Federation, a young girl was in the same school as his. The girl's name was Christa Brice, and she decided, at that age, that she loved Claude. When Claude trained in the Earth Federation, Christa followed him, but took a path that suited her hobbies and skills. When she heard that Claude's father had died and then Claude died, Christa was heartbroken, and dedicated her work to her lost love. But once Commander Rachel had found Claude, Christa was ecstatic, and begged Rachel to let her assist Claude in his ventures. Commander Rachel decided to let Christa help Claude -- she wanted the new Commander to forget about what he had done on Expel, and to now stay with the Earth Federation.  
  
Christa was very pretty and recently turned 21 years old. She had full, shoulder-length brunette hair, and curious blue eyes. She was talented in everything. She adored Claude with all her heart, and would probably do anything to be with him. Though she was very excited that she would be serving Claude, Christa restrained herself and acted calm around the man she loved. She often fantasized about what Claude would say to her when she finally told him her true feelings. She believed that Claude loved her, but was to shy to admit how he felt. She had no idea that Claude had already married and would soon be a father.  
  
"Has something been bothering you, sir?" Christa began to pour tea for the both of them.  
  
"No, not really," Claude shrugged her question away.  
  
"If it pleases you, Commander Kenni," Christa politely began, "I could be someone who you could confide in. You can trust me with any troubles you have, and I will offer advice," Christa gingerly handed him a cup of the hot tea.  
  
Claude took a long sip of the drink, and felt it's warmth against his lips. He closed his eyes, and imagined that the warmth he felt was instead from a kiss he and Rena were sharing.  
  
"Sir?" Christa prompted him.  
  
Claude slowly returned to reality. "Oh, I guess so......"  
  
Christa tried not to ecstatically agree. "Okay then," she calmly said, "well, is there anything on your mind?"  
  
Claude turned and sat down at the comfy chair at his desk. "As a matter of fact, there is," Claude sighed. "Have a seat," Claude motioned for Christa to sit at the empty chair on the other side of the desk.  
  
Christa nervously took the chair. "Um, so, what do you have to say?"  
  
Claude turned his attention to the single glove on his right hand. It was the mate of a pair he had always worn. But somehow, he lost the left one, and suspected that it may have dropped to the Shingo Forest floor during his struggle with his aunt Rachel's minions. "How would you feel when something you cherished was taken away from you?" he finally asked. He just couldn't stop thinking of Rena.  
  
Christa thought silently to herself for a moment. 'Could he be afraid that I may be hurt in the battle?' She believed that Claude was truly in love with her.  
  
"Christa?"  
  
"Oh! Well, I would be devasted, I'm sure. I wouldn't be able to cope with the thought that something I loved was far away."  
  
"I see........"  
  
"Has something gone wrong in your life?"  
  
Claude tried not to cry. He felt that he had taken the right path in life, with Rena, and for that he felt joy. But when he thought of the force that tore him away from his beloved, he felt sorrow. With that occurrence, he didn't know if it was what fate had in store for him. "I'm not sure," Claude finally replied.  
  
Christa stayed silent for a moment, then asked the question she had been longing to know the answer to ever since Claude returned to the Earth Federation, "If you don't mind telling me, sir, I'd like to know how you could have survived on that planet these past few years."  
  
A smile crossed Claude's face, "Just call me Claude."  
  
"Okay." Christa quickly agreed then waited patiently for him to tell his story.  
  
Claude thought quietly for a minute. "It was not survival."  
  
Christa was confused. "Oh. Then, how were you able to live on that planet for so long?"  
  
"When I was there, I took part in a quest to save the universe."  
  
Christa didn't really believe him, but she was interested in what he had to say, so she acted as if she had no idea what he meant. "Do you have a story to tell?"  
  
Claude told Christa the entire account of he and Rena's quest for the Sorcery Globe, down to the last detail. Christa was intrigued and infatuated with his heroism, but she didn't really like the fact that this 'Rena' girl arose frequently throughout the tale.  
  
"So, according to you story," Christa said once he was finished, "that journey of yours had finished over three years ago. How and why would you continue to stay on Expel instead of contacting Earth to bring you home?"  
  
Claude lost concentration and fell into a trance much like the kind a teen boy would fall into once he fell in love. "Rena," Claude finally breathed.  
  
"What!?" Christa gasped.  
  
"O-oh!" Claude snapped back to sophistication. "Nothing."  
  
Christa reached for Claude's hands. "Please, I'd really like to know." as she stroked his knuckles with her hands, she felt something hard on a finger on his left hand. She looked down at it and saw a gold band on his ring finger. Surprised, she quickly pulled away.  
  
Claude saw the reason for her quick actions, and acknowledged the ring by turning it round the base of his finger.  
  
"Y-you're married!?" Christa gaped.  
  
Claude smiled and chuckled a bit. "Yeah. I never would've thought that I'd find someone who loved me as much as I loved her. And I never thought we'd marry either!" he laughed out loud.  
  
"Who is she!?" Christa demanded while gritting her teeth.  
  
Claude heard her hate. "What's wrong with you?"  
  
Christa regained her senses and composed herself. "What I mean is, who is the lucky lady?" she politely asked.  
  
Claude saw through her. "Are you jealous?"  
  
"What!? Why would I be?"  
  
Claude got up from his seat and turned away.  
  
Christa had failed in keeping her feelings towards him a secret. So she changed the subject. "What do you plan to do to defeat the enemy forces on Milocinia, Claude?"  
  
Claude remained silent.  
  
Christa tried another question. "Well, when do you plan to take charge of the   
  
Calnus II?"  
  
Claude spun around. "The Calnus!?"  
  
"No, no, silly," Christa tried to laugh as she got up from her seat and approached him. "The Calnus II. The craft you are to command during the battle."  
  
"Oh, yes, the Calnus II," Claude recalled what Commander Rachel had told him. "I guess I should get to it as soon as possible, if I am to end this horrible battle before it gets any worse."  
  
"I see," Christa reluctantly agreed. She knew that if Claude left, she would no longer be in his service.  
  
"I suppose I should leave right now; as time progresses, the enemy gets stronger, minimizing my chances of defeating them. Report to Commander Rachel right away, as I prepare what necessities I will need to take with me to the Calnus II," Claude told Christa.  
  
"Yes, sir," Christa put the teacups back on the tray and carried it with her as she left.  
  
Claude turned back to the array of papers strewn out across his desk. He sat down and examined them once more.  
  
As Christa lightly navigated her way back to the ship's kitchen, thoughts of Claude flew around her. Jealously boiled what sense of confidence she had left. "He's married! God damn that girl! She probably doesn't treat him properly! She must've cast some sort of spell on him to make him love her! If she didn't, Claude would love me! I'll have to try and break the spell! But how........?" Christa was convinced that Claude would love her if he hadn't married.  
  
Suddenly, someone entered the corridor from the ship's study. It was Commander Rachel.  
  
"Oh, hello Christa," Claude's aunt warmly greeted her.  
  
"Good evening, Commander Rachel," Christa pushed all her dark feelings away as she kindly smiled at her superior.  
  
"How is Commander Kenni?" Rachel asked.  
  
"He has decided to leave immediately for the Calnus II," Christa reluctantly told her.  
  
"He has?"  
  
"Yes. He believes it wise to leave now, to end this battle as soon as possible before it gets any worse for the Earth Federation."  
  
"Very well, I will have a transport craft prepared for him to leave now," Rachel turned to leave.  
  
"Commander Rachel!" an idea struck Christa.  
  
"Yes, Christa?"  
  
"I have served as your assistant on the Tolden for a long time. In my short time serving Commander Kenni, I have found that he does not have a good grip on the rules and important knowledge he will need to know when he serves the Earth Federation. I believe that I would be of great assistance to Commander Kenni, and I see that the crew on the Tolden needs my skills less and less. Therefore, I would like to be in Commander Kenni's service while he fights in the battle, and am requesting the permission to do so from you, Commander Rachel," Christa politely asked.  
  
Commander Rachel stood silent for a moment, pondering Christa's request and Claude's capabilities. 'Perhaps she doesn't want Claude to be alone, and her love for him gives her this desire,' Rachel thought silently to herself.  
  
Christa silently waited patiently for Rachel's answer.  
  
"Of course you can go with Commander Claude to the Calnus II, Christa. I know that he will need your help."  
  
"Thank you, Commander Rachel," Christa calmly expressed her gratitude.  
  
"But be very careful, Christa. It is dangerous to be involved in a battle and you have never experienced one before. The Calnus II is in a rough environment. Take care of yourself and Commander Claude. He will need much help, so use your skills to their full potential, as you have done for me on the Tolden," Rachel wished Christa good luck.  
  
"I will, Commander Rachel, thank you."  
  
"I recommend you gather your belongings and then come down to the hold. I will have a ship prepared to take you and Commander Kenni to the Calnus II. Second Commander Saunders will be going as well. I will alert Second Commander Saunders that he will be going now, and will retrieve Commander Kenni. You should go now," Rachel told Christa.  
  
"Yes, of course," Christa bowed her head to Rachel, then quickly left the kitchen to go to her own quarters and gather what was hers.  
  
Commander Rachel left and got one of the small transport crafts ready. Once it was all prepared, Claude assisted Second Commander Saunders on board, then got in himself. The pilot got in and everyone was ready to go.  
  
"Everyone's on, pilot, we should go now," Claude told him.  
  
"Wait!" a feminine voice yelled out.  
  
Claude turned in the direction of the voice.  
  
Clambering down the metal staircase leading into the hold, and dragging a suitcase behind her, was Christa.  
  
Christa ran up to the craft and began to climb up the steel ladder into it.  
  
"What are you doing!?" Claude demanded.  
  
Christa sat down in the seat beside Claude. "Commander Rachel wishes for me to continue my service to you, and so has told me to go with you to the Calnus II," Christa buckled up her seatbelt as she politely explained the situation.  
  
"I don't need your help!" Claude raged at her as he recalled how Christa had treated him earlier when he told her that he was married.  
  
"Commander Kenni?" Second Commander Saunders was appalled by Claude's anger.  
  
Claude calmed down and composed himself. "What I mean to say, Christa, is that your skills will not be needed on my mission. It is best if you stay on the Tolden, and continue to serve Commander Rachel."  
  
"With all due respect, Commander Kenni," Christa sweetly retorted, "my skills are best used to assist one who has not been with the Earth Federation for some time. My assistance is no longer needed on the Tolden. Therefore, Commander Rachel saw it wise for me to help you, as you have just returned to the Earth Federation and need to know what recent changes have occurred, as well as information you may have forgotten over these past few years."  
  
Claude, sensing that the argument would not end in his favour, just gave in. "Very well then, Christa, if Commander Rachel has ordered you to work on the Calnus II, then that is what you will do."  
  
Christa tried to hold in her pride at winning the dispute. "Yes sir, Commander Kenni!"  
  
"Well, if everything is ready then we'd better get going," Second Commander Saunders said.  
  
"Of course," Claude agreed.  
  
The pilot of the small craft turned on the engines, and a crew member in the hold opened the release hatch so that the transport ship could leave.  
  
As the transport craft left the Tolden, it hovered in space for a few moments while its engines warmed up.  
  
Claude looked out the window into the vastness of space, and thought of the emptiness that waited to swallow them when they would speed away from the Tolden. His eyes wandered everywhere that his sight could see, and eventually, he found himself staring at the vast planet that was hanging just below the Tolden. Expel. The planet of Claude's beloved wife, Rena. He looked deep through the atmosphere and tried to see through the clouds the land and waters of Expel. But he could not see through the white spirals that surrounded the planet. Sadly, Claude turned his thoughts to the task at hand -- defeating the Ten Wise Men. But when he thought about it, he remembered having to defeat the Ten Wise Men during the Sorcery Globe quest, and therefore recalled journeying with Rena. No matter what Claude tried to think of, his thoughts always wandered back to Rena.  
  
Suddenly, Claude saw a small dark object zip through the clouds of Expel. It appeared to be some sort of rocket ship, one he had seen before. 'But where have I seen it?' he demanded to know from himself. Because he couldn't find an explanation for the feeling he had that he had seen the rocket before, Claude turned away and shook his head, hoping that if the rocket were an illusion, it would disappear by the time he looked back towards Expel. When he turned back to view the planet, he didn't see the rocket, but Expel was moving. Then he realized that the transport craft he was on was the reason Expel was moving, as its engines had warmed up and the little craft was flying away. Away from the Tolden, and Expel. Far away he was going to be, and fighting in a battle.  
  
"I promise to return to you, Rena," Claude whispered to himself as the craft sped off into the vast darkness of space, away from the world of his love. 


	9. Barely

"I never dreamed that I'd fly higher than the clouds," Rena marveled as she looked out the window at Expel becoming farther and farther away.  
  
"It's breathtaking, isn't it?" Opera asked.  
  
"So beautiful..........where exactly is the ship?" Rena watched as white whisps of clouds moved with the quick passing of the rocket.  
  
"Just above Expel's atmosphere, if it hasn't left," Opera said.  
  
Rena looked over Opera's shoulder, through the windshield, at the approaching darkness beyond the clouds. Specks of bright light solitarily shone from random places in the spacious dark. "Is this, space?" Rena cautiously asked.  
  
"Nothin' but," Opera laughed.  
  
Suddenly, Rena saw a reflection in space. A flat surface made its presence known by allowing the starlight to shimmer off of it. Then the object moved, allowing the light to bounce off of corners and creases.  
  
As the rocket sped towards the shiny object, more light showed more of the object, displaying the vast spaceship that took Claude away.  
  
"That's it!" Rena gasped. Thoughts of the event that separated her from her beloved caused anger to rise within her as she contemplated how the people that attacked them would pay.  
  
"We've got to be careful, Rena," Opera warned her friend. "From what you've told me about when Claude was taken, these people have no intention of assisting us."  
  
"Yes......" Rena looked into her leather pouch, at the Holy Twin, the weapon for Claude. When she looked back up, towards the spaceship, she saw an object fly quickly away from it, with a smudge of blond in the object's window. "No, it couldn't be," Rena convinced herself.  
  
***  
  
"Commander Rachel, there's a small spacecraft approaching us from the planet Expel," a pilot examined the radar on the Tolden's control panel on the bridge.  
  
Rachel stood over the pilot as she looked at the radar, then out the windshield, trying to find the spacecraft. "What is it?"  
  
"It appears to be a class C-9 rocket ship, unique to those situated on the advanced planet Tetragenes. Why it's on this planet, I have no idea," the pilot explained.  
  
"Then it must be an enemy ship, come to try and defeat us!" Rachel jumped to conclusions.  
  
"Commander Rachel!?" the pilot gasped.  
  
"You heard me! Destroy it!" Rachel exclaimed.  
  
Other crew members scattered, following their superior's orders.  
  
Rachel took charge. "Once the weapons are ready for launch, open fire!"  
  
***  
  
"Oh! Look!" Opera gasped.  
  
Rena looked towards the spaceship. A small flap on the bottom of the ship opened, revealing several small missile-like objects. Dozens more flaps opened, showing more and more missiles.  
  
"They must think we're an enemy!" Opera gasped as she flipped a switch that caused the rocket's shield to strengthen to full power.  
  
"What do we do!?" Rena gaped.  
  
"We'll have to ride it out!" Opera got a firm grip on the direction controls. But then, she saw an opening on the bottom of the spaceship. "Wait, look! The standard door that releases emergency ships from the hold is open! We can get on the ship by going in it! Hang on!"  
  
The missiles suddenly began filling the air surrounding Opera's rocket as they shot away from the ship. Opera maneuvered skillfully with agility, being an expert in spacecraft piloting, and she managed to dodge the torpedoes of fire that swerved her way. Rena was dead scared, she had never encountered this sort of thing before, and though she trusted Opera, she still feared for her life, as one false move would mean their destruction.  
  
"I don't think they're going to stop attacking until we're gone!" Opera exclaimed as she veered a hard left, avoiding an on-coming missile. "We might have to go back!"  
  
"No!" Rena yelled. Frantically her eyes searched the contours of the ship, trying to find a way in. Then she noticed that the door to the hold, where the little rocket she had seen before came from. "There! That open hatch! Maybe we can get in through there!" Rena pointed to the opening on the side of the ship.  
  
Opera saw it too. "We'll try! Hang on!" she turned her controls to take the rocket to the ship.  
  
* * *  
  
"What is the ship doing?" Commander Rachel exclaimed as she saw that the suspected enemy rocket had suddenly changed its course and was swerving off to the side.  
  
The pilot shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps they've given up, Commander."  
  
"I doubt it......" Commander Rachel crossed her arms. The enemy was not in view from the deck, it was out of sight, but its image remained on the radar. But then Rachel noticed something interesting. A control panel on the main controls displayed a flashing screen, which said that the door to the hold was still open. Commander Rachel blanched as those facts dawned on her, and she feared of the enemy rocket's intentions.  
  
"They're heading towards the open door to the hold!" Rachel realized as she slammed her fist down on the button that would close the door to the hold.  
  
* * *  
  
"Opera! The door is closing!" Rena gasped as she saw the hinged metallic flaps slowly coming down.  
  
"We're going to make it!" Opera optimistically exclaimed as she dodged yet another missile, then pushed her hand against the clutch to force the rocket forward at it's top speed.  
  
The rocket suddenly sprang forward, the force pushing Opera and Rena back in their seats. The engine seemed to have a new life as it emitted a stream of fire, and drove it across the distance at a vast speed. The metallic doors kept a steady speed as they were drawn down to close, and as Opera's rocket drew nearer, the two women could see men in blue jumpsuits milling and scrambling around inside the ship, some armed, others hastily working controls.  
  
And then in a sudden burst of speed, just before the doors closed, Opera's rocket slipped inside, on board the huge spacecraft.  
  
* * *  
  
"That rocket we were shooting at has gotten on board!" the pilot worriedly told his commander.  
  
"Fools! You let the enemy get on board!? Increase defenses in the hold, to determine the enemy's cause here!" Commander Rachel shouted orders to her crew. Though she acted calm and assured of her eventual triumph, she was actually shivering and panicking inside. Was this rocket actually enemy? Though she reacted as if it was, she knew deep inside that it wasn't. At the beginning of the battle with the Ten Wise Men on Milocinia, Rachel had gone to evaluate her chances and standards in the line of battle, to decide if she would take part in it, or take on the mission to investigate Expel. She had seen the slaughter, the relentless and unmerciful violence that Indalecio, Filia, and the rest of their team had distributed upon the Earth Federation's forces, killing hundreds. Rachel feared for herself, the enemy was so strong, seemingly indestructible. And now there was this mysterious rocket that was now on board the Tolden. It's strength seemed futile compared to Rachel's crew. So if this rocket was enemy, why would it come as such a weak force? That she would find out soon, as she ordered the crew in the hold to be tripled for protection.  
  
* * *  
  
"There are so many men out there," Rena panicked as Opera landed the rocket on the metal floor of the hold. Both women watched as armed men milled around the rocket, surrounding it and aiming their weapons at the spacecraft.  
  
"Come out with your hands up!" a strong man with a megaphone called out to Opera and Rena.  
  
"What are we going to do!?" Rena exclaimed.  
  
Opera reached beside her, picking up her large specialized gun and inserting a disk into it's power box. "Stay down Rena, I have a plan," Opera cautiously looked out the windshield, mentally counting the number of armed men which surrounded her shuttle. Then she pressed a button on her control panel, and the glass dome roof of the rocket began to slowly open.  
  
"Put down your weapons!" the man with the megaphone shouted again.  
  
Rena watched in awe as Opera fearlessly stood up, her head and shoulders outside of the protection of her rocket, exposed to possible injury were the crew to open fire.  
  
"Put down your weapons!!" the man commanded again.  
  
"Where is Claude Kenni!?" Opera demanded as she held up her large gun, aiming at the man with the megaphone.  
  
When the crew members saw the size and potency of Opera's awesome weapon, they all stepped back, and a number of them moved to protect the unarmed man with the megaphone, as Opera had her gun aimed at him.  
  
"I will ask only one more time! Where is Claude Kenni!?" Opera yelled again, her finger squeezing against her gun's trigger.  
  
The armed men remained silent, unsure of who this strange 3-eyed woman was speaking of.  
  
"Fine then," Opera casually said as she aimed her gun off to the side, instead of directly at the crew member with the megaphone. Then she squeezed the trigger, and immediately the armed men scrambled as a bar of light shot out of the cannon of Opera's gun, then drove down to the metal floor, and upon contact with the floor, the bar of light exploded into a dark cloud of mist. The dark mist surrounded the men, blocking their view of Opera and her rocket.  
  
"Come on, Rena! Now's our chance to escape!" Opera reached down a hand to help Rena out. Rena grabbed her leather pouch, being careful not to crush the Holy Twin in it, and slung the pouch over her shoulder as she grabbed Opera's hand and stepped out of the rocket with her friend.  
  
The crew who had previously on their guard were now frantically calling out to stop the enemy. Others were choking on the mist, believing it to be toxic, when it was actually harmless. Still others stood their ground, searching with keen vision for the strange blond woman through the mist, and holding up their weapons to fire should she try to escape. But Opera and Rena weren't caught. They safely sidestepped through the dark cloud, eluding the men, and escaped through a small door on the opposite side of the room.  
  
* * *  
  
"The enemies have escaped! I repeat, the enemies have escaped!" a panicking voice exclaimed from the perforated surface of the radio in Commander Rachel's shaking hand. She was speaking with one of the crew members who had encountered the assumed enemy rocket in the hold.  
  
"Who escaped?" Rachel inquired, holding the radio to her ear. She could hear men coughing in the background. "How many people?"  
  
"A blond woman......with 3 eyes!" the voice from the radio exclaimed. "She was armed, she had a huge weapon, some sort of a gun, and when she shot a round at the floor, it was a beam of light, and exploded into a cloud of mist when it hit the floor. The mist blocked our view, and we couldn't see anything, so when the mist had cleared, we searched the rocket, but the woman was gone!"  
  
"Well then, go after her! She can't have gotten far! This ship is so big, she's probably gotten lost! Go after her!" Commander Rachel ordered.  
  
"Yes sir!" the voice on the radio echoed, then faded off as Rachel turned off the device.  
  
"Damn fools, they let the enemy escape!" Rachel cursed out loud as she strode across the bridge, frantically thinking of what to do. "They said she's heavily armed......" Rachel feared for her own safety. With a sudden idea, Rachel picked up the radio again. "Sergeant Targ! Send more security to the bridge! I suspect that the 3-eyed woman will come here to the bridge if she wishes to take over the ship......."  
  
* * *  
  
"Opera! Where are we going!?" Rena exclaimed as she tried to keep up with her friend. The two women were running as quickly as possible down narrow corridors and up and down short flights of steps away from where they had left their rocket, Opera leading the way.  
  
"Trust me, Rena. I've been on many a spacecraft like this, and believe me, a majority of them have the same design. All we have to do is stay along the right side of the ship, and there shouldn't be too many forks or multiple halls that would confuse us. It is like one long path, leading straight to the bridge," Opera explained as she stealthily stepped up a set of stairs, making sure that they weren't being followed. "And once we get to the bridge, all we have to do is threaten the Commander, and then whatever we want will be followed. We'll be in charge, and they'll have to listen to our orders if they want their precious Commander to live," Opera arrogantly smirked at her obviously successful plans.  
  
The two women kept to the right side of the ship, and didn't encounter any of the ship's crew along the way. In the air all around them blared an alarm, as well as someone's voice over an intercom stating that the enemies had escaped.  
  
Opera and Rena had to be more cautious, though, once they came to an open area. The open room was shaped like a pentagon, it had 5 walls. There were 3 other corridors to take besides the one they had come from, a corridor on each wall except one, but all the corridors led to the opposite end of the ship, where the bridge surely wasn't. And against the corridorless wall there were 2 doors, made of thick, dark metal and embossed with the same symbol that was on the outside of the ship.  
  
"We're at the bridge," Opera stopped to catch her breath, hoisting her huge weapon up in her arms, preparing to use it if anyone came through the doors. "Just through those doors is the bridge, where the Commander probably is. Stay behind me when we go in, Rena, you don't have a weapon."  
  
"Alright," Rena agreed as she and Opera approached the doors.  
  
"You ready?" Opera adjusted her gun, then held it comfortably with her finger resting against the trigger, ready should she have to use it. Her other hand shook uneasily as it gripped the door's handle, prepared to open it.  
  
Rena took a deep breath, afraid for the risk they were about to take. "I'm ready," she finally said as she stood safely behind Opera.  
  
"Here we go!" Opera exclaimed as her hand quickly pushed down on the handle, and she forced open the door. 


	10. Devotion

"Everybody to the floor, I'm armed!" Opera shouted clearly as she stepped through the doors and stood fearlessly on the bridge, in the presence of other armed men. But Opera's weapon was much larger than the ship's crew's firearms, and unsure of the capabilities of the 3-eyed woman's impressive rifle, they followed her orders and hit the floor.  
  
"What is going on!?" a middle-aged woman who stood beside the pilot at the controls whirled around to face Opera.  
  
"I said hit the floor!" Opera ordered as she aimed her gun right at the inquisitive middle-aged woman.  
  
"Don't shoot....." Opera's victim slowly raised her arms in the air, as did the pilot beside her.  
  
"Rena, go take the weapons away from the crew members on the floor," Opera told her friend while still holding her own gun aimed at the middle-aged woman, prepared to fire were the woman to try and escape.  
  
"Yes, Opera," Rena shakily agreed as she turned to her task of taking the firearms away from the men sprawled on the floor.  
  
"Let Rena take your weapons! One wrong move, and this woman here gets it!" Opera yelled for all to hear. Then she turned back to face her target. "Now then, who are you?" she asked the middle-aged woman, stepping closer so that the barrel of her gigantic gun was pointed very close to the woman's face.  
  
The woman swallowed hard as she struggled to conceal her fear, breaking into a cold sweat. She was staring confidently right down the barrel of Opera's gun, her mouth set into a straight line, and it was evident that she would not answer Opera's query.  
  
Opera smirked at the woman's courage. "If you wish to remain anonymous then, tell me this, have you ever felt the blinding, searing heat of a bar of pure and fatal light burning into your flesh?" Opera's threat elevated in meaning with her choice words, and the woman began to shiver, her arms raising higher into the air as a reflex. Slowly, Opera moved the barrel of her weapon down, so that it was now aimed directly at the woman's heart. The woman gulped again.  
  
"Hey.......what's this?" Opera noticed the light reflecting off of a golden pendant hanging around the woman's neck. Still pointing her gun at the woman, Opera reached her other hand forward, gently grasping the edge of the pendant between her fingers, and holding it up and looking more closely at it. It appeared to be a small locket, oval in shape, and was intricately engraved with the image of beautiful vines and flowers. Carefully she opened it, and stretched it out to reveal 3 frames displaying 3 photographs. The first picture showed a young bearded man, who, Opera noticed, resembled the woman she now threatened to shoot. The second photo was of a vibrant young woman, smiling beautiful, wisps of her soft blond hair framing her angelic face. Opera gasped as she surveyed the third picture. It showed a young boy, frizzy blond hair framing his slightly tanned face, with bright blue eyes that twinkled, and a mischievous grin.  
  
"Rena! Rena! Come look at this!" Opera was awestruck as she gazed at the photo of the young boy.  
  
"What is it, Opera?" Rena piled up the firearms, which she had taken from the crew, in the middle of the floor, but held on to one to protect herself. Puzzled, she approached Opera, looking over the 3-eyed woman's shoulder at the dainty locket she held.  
  
"Rena........isn't that Claude?" Opera pointed at the photo of the young boy.  
  
Rena gasped as she saw the image of her husband, tears coming to her eyes. ".......it is Claude......" she quietly murmured as she took it into her own hand, stroking it gently with her thumb, lost in her memories of him.  
  
"What does this mean?" Opera stood on guard again and held her finger over the trigger of her gun, raising it up again so that the end of it's barrel grazed across the woman's jaw.  
  
The woman swallowed hard again, but this time, chose to break the silence. "It means that Claude is my nephew," she explained as she slowly lowered her arms.  
  
"Keep those arms up, missy," Opera ordered, this woman who claimed to be Claude's aunt might actually be lying.  
  
"Claude is your nephew?" Rena somewhat believed the woman. "Than who are you?" Rena recognized the woman as she was the same person who had kidnapped Claude in the first place.  
  
Though Opera wasn't successful in getting the woman to identify herself, the woman took pity on Reno's tears, and chose to tell the truth. "I am Commander Rachel Kenni, sister to Commander Ronixis Kenni, Claude's father."  
  
"You are the woman who attacked Claude and I down on Expel," Rena's anger rose as she remembered the pain and anguish and illness she suffered from the attack and her time before coming to the ship. "You twisted woman........why did you kidnap my husband!?!?" Rena screamed as she glared at Rachel.  
  
"Rena! Calm down! The stress isn't good for the baby!" Opera reminded her friend of her pregnancy.  
  
Rachel gasped. "You are with child, child? Am I going to be a great-aunt?"  
  
"Don't change the subject!" Rena screeched, an angry fire burning in her eyes as tears streamed down her face. "Where is Claude!?"  
  
Rachel looked away, uneasy and feeling guilty about her actions. She hadn't realized on Expel that the blue-haired woman with Claude was pregnant. And even when Claude had attacked her in the infirmary, and told her that Rena was pregnant, Rachel didn't believe him, she ignored his pleas to be returned to Expel. But now, Rachel saw for herself that Claude's words were true, that this blue-haired, pointed-eared woman who claimed to be Claude's wife was indeed very heavy with child, her swollen belly evident even though it was covered by a long dress.  
  
"Answer me, dammit!!" Rena shrieked as she drew her right hand back in the air, then let it flow forward, her open palm crashing harshly into the left side of Rachel's face in a painful slap.  
  
The force of the slap caused Rachel to lose her balance, and she fell back, her arms stretching behind her to break her fall as she leaned back against the control panel. The sting of the smack finally reached Rachel and her left hand reached up instinctively to cup the bruise that was forming on her cheek. Anger boiled in Rachel as she lost her pride, embarrassed that her usual cat-like reflexes hadn't responded to stop Rena from slapping her. Rachel glared up at her nephew's wife, her eyes meeting and locking with Rena's in a hateful stare. But then Rena raised her hand in the air once more, and it appeared as if she would slap Rachel again. But, unexpectedly, Opera played the role of Rachel's savior.  
  
"Rena! Stop!" Opera commanded as she firmly grasped Rena's wrist, stopping her from reaching out to strike Rachel again.  
  
Rena angrily turned to face her friend, but then broke down as she saw that Opera didn't support her form of justice. Rena's rage slipped away, and was replaced by a wave of emotion, of sadness and disappointment, and she collapsed in Opera's reassuring embrace, letting her tears fall freely.  
  
"Now, now, Rena. It's alright," Opera gently soothed her wailing friend.  
  
Rachel gained her confidence again, her ego pushing through. She stood up and dusted herself off. "Apology accepted," she assumed and crossed her arms.  
  
It was Opera's turn to glare at Claude's aunt. "How the hell do you come up with that conclusion!?" she aimed her gun at Rachel again.  
  
Rachel instinctively raised her arms in the air again. "I forgive you for your actions," she shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"Think before you speak," Opera told Rachel as she raised the barrel of her weapon to point at Rachel's heart.  
  
Rachel gulped. "Perhaps what I mean to say is.......I apologized for my actions," Rachel reasoned that the best way out of this predicament would be to be truthful, as this Opera woman seemed to enjoy threatening her with her magnificent and large gun.  
  
"Alright," Opera agreed. "Now tell Rena here what you did with her husband."  
  
"Yes!" Rena exclaimed as she dried her eyes. "What did you do to Claude!? Why did you kidnap him!?"  
  
Rachel took a deep breath. "It's a long story," she finally said. "If I cherished him like a nephew, then it probably wouldn't have been a kidnapping," Rachel exclaimed.  
  
"What?" Rena was confused. "What do you mean, that you don't consider Claude as family? That you don't care about him at all?"  
  
Rachel shrugged with indifference. "I guess you could say that."  
  
Rena brow furrowed in sorrow. "How can you think that!? He is your nephew! And you're telling me that you don't care for your family!?"  
  
"I didn't say that," Rachel's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "I told you, it's a long story. It all started before Claude was even born."  
  
"That is so cruel! You never gave him a chance! You hated him before he ever saw you!?" Rena's anger surfaced again.  
  
"Rena, please, give Rachel a chance to explain herself," Opera calmed Rena down.  
  
"Thank you, Opera," Rachel continued. "I recall it well, the best time of my life was before Claude was born," Rachel saw that Rena was glaring at her with that remark, but she continued her story. "I was respected as the most successful Commander in the entire Earth Federation. My rank was of the highest degree, I accomplished all my missions, and I established my image as a magnificent Commander. My younger brother Ronixis also chose to be a Commander, yet his skills and mission accomplishments never quite matched mine, he was a hard worker, but he could never comprehend the successes I achieved. I gained high status and respect, understood as the finest Commander. I was granted a large budget to complete my missions, the largest spacecraft in the Federation, and quality crew and maintenance staff. I got the recognition I deserved, I was very happy. But then my hard-earned respect slipped away with Ronixis's congratulations."  
  
"Congratulations?" Rena pondered. "What do you mean?"  
  
Rachel sighed. "Congratulations for he and his wife, as they would soon be parents."  
  
"They were pregnant with Claude....." Opera regarded.  
  
"That's right," Rachel, seemingly sad, nodded her head in agreement. "It was Claude's conception that sealed my downfall. Which proves to you why I treated him so harshly."  
  
"What happened?" Rena took pity, and wished to know more.  
  
"It was, of course, a proud moment for Ronixis when it was discovered that he would finally be a father. But the Federation actually seemed more proud than the father to be. Astrologers and psychics somehow had the idea that the alignment of the stars dictated that my brother's coming child would prove to be the hero of the universe. It seemed foolish to believe such things, it isn't the celestial bodies that decide fate, I believe. But still the Federation cast its attention to Ronixis, suddenly having an interest in everything he did. All his missions previous to Claude's conception were re-evaluated, and thought to be grand accomplishments. And though they were, they weren't as important as the missions I had triumphed. Still, Ronixis's popularity flourished, while the Earth Federation completely ignored me. Less and less missions were being assigned to me, and were instead given to Ronixis, which he executed with skill and success. I still struggled to keep my status, but my efforts were futile. I lost my recognition, my well-deserved respect. All to my brother, only because he would be a father. And at first it seemed fair, he had worked hard all his life, and it was finally his time to shine in the spotlight. I must admit, I was jealous at first, but then I reasoned that it was only fair. I thought that it would only be a matter of time for the Earth Federation to remember me again, and then I would gain my high-status once again. But I was wrong."  
  
"Ronixis's popularity maintained?" Opera inquired. "And the Federation completely ignored you."  
  
Rachel bent her head, embarrassed at her envy of her brother. "Claude's birth was joyous, everyone was proud. That blond baby was the darling of the Federation, Ronixis pledging that his son would follow in his footsteps, and become a grand Commander; like father, like son. Indeed, I was happy as well, that bright and cheerful, blue-eyed boy helped me to come out of my depression, I was earning respect again as Claude's aunt. But only as Claude's aunt, not as the great Commander Rachel. The Federation still ignored me, I did not gain my high-status as the never-failing Commander I once was. All my planned missions were handed to Ronixis, my giant spaceship renamed the Calnus and given to him as well. My life was meaningless without respect. My choice career had blundered."  
  
"Everything you had worked so hard for........taken away just to celebrate a birth," Rena, for some reason, felt ashamed, as her husband was the reason why this honest woman lost her standings.  
  
"Even though I was the hardest working Commander in the entire Federation, I was treated as if I were just an amateur. I was insanely jealous of my brother's glory, he had achieved it flawlessly, with barely any effort. But once he gained it, he proved himself worthy by accomplishing any and every mission he was given. Still, I envied him, I worked just as hard as him but rarely received any attention. I became enraged and sinfully jealous, and I focused my raw, hurtful emotions on Claude, as he was what caused me to lose everything. I treated him harshly, I didn't love him as an aunt should," Rachel bowed her head in shame.  
  
"But then Ronixis died," Opera prompted the story to continue.  
  
Rachel looked as if she would cry. "Yes, my dear brother died. He had been on a mission, searching for Claude. He reported that he had found Claude, but Claude wished to return to the planet he had been found on in order to bid farewell to his friends, which I assume, are you two women. But Claude tricked his father, and stayed on the planet, even when it faced oblivion. The planet was destroyed, and all mourned for Claude's death. Though I acted bitterly towards Claude, I still cared for him, as he was my nephew, so I faced sadness too when I learned of his death. I guess he didn't actually die though, as I see he's alive today. But Ronixis took it pretty bad, as any father would. His pride and joy, lost forever, as he believed. And then he faced the same horrible fate, when an unknown power attacked and destroyed the Calnus, killing all aboard, including my brother. The entire Earth Federation weeped, their legendary Commander was gone," Rachel's teas became evident as they slowly slid down the sides of her ," Rena begged, tears also building up in her eyes.  
  
Rachel nodded her head. "Ronixis......was a magnificent Commander, I must admit. With him gone, the Federation felt they had lost, that he was the basis for everything about them. They still ignored me. But over the past 3 years, I've made myself known, come out of depression and spoken out, wanting to take on my brother's planned missions. At first the Federation was despondent, believing that I would not be successful as Ronixis obviously would be. But I persisted and was finally granted the responsibilities again. I was regaining respect again, climbing high to express my skills and standards, my capabilities and willingness to never give up, my image as a grand Commander. I've worked my hardest these past 3 years, and slowly gained recognition again. And to prove to the Federation that I was the best, I took on the impossible mission of finding Claude, as some still believed that he was still alive. It seemed preposterous, that my nephew, assumed to be long dead, was still alive and healthy. I felt that by taking on the mission, even though I would fail, the federation would come to believe in me again, and I would come out on top once more. But then I did find him, and The Federation's old respect for my brother pushed through, and I was completely ignored once again. The Federation suddenly had all this faith in Claude, believing him to be the best, like they believed Ronixis was, but Claude hadn't even done anything yet to earn that glory. My old envies and jealousy rose again, and I treated Claude harshly and relentlessly. I have worked hard all my life, and I was invisible, ignored by the Federation. I deserve better than this!" Rachel spitefully exclaimed as her tears burned rage.  
  
"So.....you are jealous that you have worked hard all your life, but receive no recognition or credit, yet Ronixis works without as much energy, and gets all the respect?" Opera inquired. "Sounds like gender discrimination to me. Unless of course the Federation saw more possibility in your brother and your nephew than they saw in you."  
  
"Are you saying that all my hard work was in vain!? That I didn't earn respect, just because of my behavior!?" Rachel shouted angrily.  
  
"That is exactly what I am saying!" Opera retorted. "You are overreacting! You became insanely jealous when the spotlight wasn't on you! Perhaps if you showed more compassion, and pride in that your brother was succeeding only with your help, then maybe the Federation wouldn't have ignored you! The universe does not revolve around you! There are many other great entities worthy of attention besides you! Understand that!"  
  
Rachel froze. This strange 3-eyed woman was exactly right. Rachel hung her head in shame, embarrassed at her years of behaving irrationally and brutally towards her nephew. ".....I-I never realized that before........I don't know what to say........" she buried her face in her hands, sinking down to the floor and folding her legs beneath her, weeping bitterly.  
  
Rena could understand Rachel's pain. For some reason, she felt the need to comfort this woman who had hurt her before. Rena slowly knelt down beside Rachel, wrapping her arms around her and embracing her, trying to comfort her. "There, there, it's not too late to change......"  
  
"How can you ever forgive me?" Rachel murmured between tears. "I've been rude and cruel to you, I attacked you! How can you want to help me?"  
  
"I need your help, Commander Rachel," Rena explained. "You are the only one who knows where Claude has gone, and I need to know. I need to be with him, as my child will come soon."  
  
Rachel looked up, wiping the tears from her eyes. ".......yes, Claude will be a father......such a blessing......." Rachel smiled at Rena in understanding. Rena smiled back.  
  
"So, where is Claude?" Opera repeated the question she had asked before she learned the entire story. "Why did you take him in the first place?"  
  
Rachel stood up and dusted herself off. "Claude is no longer here. He has already left for the Calnus II."  
  
"The Calnus II?" the name seemed familiar to Rena.  
  
"Yes," Rachel continued. "Claude is needed to fight in a battle against the Ten Wise Men."  
  
"The Ten Wise Men!?!?" Opera and Rena exclaimed at the same time.  
  
"Or so I'm told," Rachel confirmed. "It appears that there has been a disturbance on a distant planet, called Milocinia, where these strange men and a woman asked for Claude. We at the Earth Federation tried to compromise, we had believed for so long that Claude was dead. But the head of the enemy force, Indalecio and Filia, demanded for Claude, threatening to destroy Earth if their demands weren't met. Panicking, the Federation sent me to look for Claude, but the enemy force decided that since they'd have to wait for Claude, that they would fight until he arrived. The war goes on at this time, on Milocinia, but Indalecio and his gang are too powerful, they have already slaughtered thousands of the Federation's forces. I had to take Claude, I had no choice, for if I didn't, thousands more would be mercilessly killed. The enemy will not tell us why they want Claude, that they will proclaim their reasons once Ronixis's son is in their presence."  
  
Rena feared the worst. "But Claude can't take them on all by himself! They are too powerful!"  
  
"They will probably do away with him, like they did to his father," Opera sighed.  
  
"Are you saying that these Ten Wise Men are the same people who murdered my brother!?" Rachel gasped.  
  
"We saw the destruction of the Calnus with our own eyes," Rena did not want to recall that painful memory.  
  
Rachel's heart heaved, and she made a bold decision. "Get up off the floor, men!" Rachel commanded the crew members who were still sprawled on the floor, ordered there in the first place by Opera when she had first arrived. "Get up and get busy, men! We have to go after Commander Kenni!" Rachel ordered. The men started scrambling around.  
  
"Commander Kenni?" Rena was confused.  
  
"Claude is now Commander Kenni. The Earth Federation saw it best to make him a Commander so he could more easily complete his mission of stopping the Ten Wise Men," Rachel explained.  
  
"We have to go after Claude?" Opera scratched her head. "Where is he?"  
  
"Just before you two women stole aboard, Commander Kenni, along with Second-Commander Saunders and Assistant Brice, left in a Speed Shuttle, heading to Milocinia, where his ship the Calnus II is waiting to take him into battle. A Speed Shuttle is much quicker that a regular ship, it is used for emergencies where a person has to be somewhere as soon as possible, and it travels seven times as fast as my ship. It was the only one I had. So if we were to go after him now, it would be a week before we arrived," Rachel resolved.  
  
"Then what are we waiting for!?" Opera exclaimed. "Let's go! Claude needs us with him if he even has the slightest chance of surviving!"  
  
Rachel smiled. "Right! Let's get moving, men! Turn this ship around! We have to go after Commander Kenni as fast as we can!"  
  
"Yes sir, Commander Rachel!" the crew's voices agreed in a chorus. They began frantically bustling about, shouting to one another of what to do and flipping switches and buttons on the control panel. Suddenly the ship quaked, and it slowly turned around. The engines warmed up, and the Tolden began moving forward, away from Expel, heading in the direction that Claude had left them.  
  
"What can we do once we get there?" Opera asked.  
  
Rachel sighed. "I'm not sure......the Ten Wise Men are very strong, from what I've heard. When I told Claude about the battle, he seemed to know about the Ten Wise Men, as do you two ladies. Tell me, have you met them before?"  
  
Rena slowly nodded her head. "When I first met Claude, there was a disturbance on my planet, Expel. We teamed up and decided to investigate the problem, along the way meeting Opera, here," Rena pointed to the 3-eyed woman standing beside her. "Opera, along with many others, joined Claude and I in our quest. We eventually found that the Ten Wise Men were causing the evil upon Expel, and they wanted to conquer the universe, and if they couldn't have that, they would destroy it. But Claude and I and our small party managed to defeat and destroy the Ten Wise men.......or so we thought........"  
  
"How did the Ten Wise Men come back?" Opera finished Rena's sentence.  
  
Rachel shrugged. "I was told that a strange woman on Milocinia, her name was Filia, proclaimed that the Ten Wise Men's souls tortured her until she was too weak to hold them off any longer, then they overcame her and used her to find bodies to house their souls, so that they would have physical forms to complete their ambitions. The first taken was Agent Stark, a reporter for the Earth Federation, and the son of Second Commander Saunders. I heard that Filia lured him, then used her evil magic to place Indalecio's soul into him, so that Agent Stark is now Indalecio. We can't kill the Ten Wise Men, even if we wanted to, as we would be killing citizens of the Earth Federation, the Ten Wise Men have taken over the bodies of workers for the Federation, and we fear that if we kill Indalecio, then we would be killing Agent Stark as well. It is unknown how we should go about to defeat the Ten Wise Men without killing the innocents whose bodies they stole."  
  
"A tough predicament," Opera stroked her chin.  
  
"We at the Earth Federation saw it best to leave the strategizing and planning to Commander Kenni, as he has encountered the Ten Wise Men before, and knows how he defeated them before. So hopefully, he can beat them again," Rachel bowed her head in prayer.  
  
Rena thought deeply, silently evaluating Claude's chances now of defeating the Ten Wise Men. She knew Claude would have a better chance of succeeding with herself and Opera at his side, but the Ten Wise Men also appeared to be much more stronger now, and had a defense system, the bodies of the innocent workers of the Earth Federation which Indalecio and his gang inhabited.  
  
"War....." Rena recounted the word that described the pain and suffering that she would meet on Milocinia. Her hand instinctively went to gently rub her swollen belly. "......I hope my child does not see that anguish......" she feared that her baby would be born when she would be fighting with Claude.  
  
A single tear fell from Rena's eye as she looked out the windshield of the ship, watching as Expel moved towards the edge of the window, slowly sliding out of view, until it had disappeared entirely. In one hand she grasped a gun she had taken from one of Rachel's crew, and she had held onto it for her protection. Carefully she placed it in her leather pouch, she would possibly need it later. As she put it gently in the bottom of her bag, her hand brushed against another gun-shaped weapon, the Holy Twin, the firearm she would give to Claude when they would re-unite. For some reason, the name of the LEA metal-powered weapon sparked an interest within Rena, she recalled how Mayor Regis had told her that the name predicted Claude's future.......but how could that be? The name referred to.......oh, no, it couldn't be! But if it was fact, Rena would be so happy. A kind smile crept across Rena's face.  
  
"The Holy Twin.......the holy twins......." Rena reasoned, the name seemed so right now. Her hands went back to rubbing her pregnant stomach. "Don't worry Claude, I'm coming," she quietly said to herself as she smiled and looked down at her swollen abdomen. "Don't worry, we're coming.....all three of us......." 


	11. Obstacles Already

An hour had barely passed when Claude saw that the Speed Shuttle he was traveling on, along with Second Commander Saunders and Assistant Brice, was already so far away from Expel. From his home. From his life.

Looking out the small porthole-style window, Claude saw Expel gradually shrinking, the Tolden a dark smudge over it and eventually disappearing from sight as well. They were traveling at great speed, and would probably reach the Calnus II before the day was through.

While Claude focused on the immense ocean of stars they were floating through, a pair of piercing eyes was intently focused upon him.

'...yes, she must have cast a spell on him. He seems different than what he was like in the Earth Federation with me...' Christa thought to herself as she stared at the back of Claude's head, his seat being in front of hers and next to the pilot's. She didn't realize, in her extreme jealousy, that three years and many strange experiences can change people in weird ways. She still thought that that girl who'd married Claude, Rena, had tricked him. '...these alien planets always have weird races of peoples who possess strange magic. She must have used some powerful spell to make his desire to stay with her and not come back to me last three years.'

"What do you think we'll be able to do to start out against the Ten Wise Men, Commander Kenni?" Second Commander Saunders's voice broke through the silence.

Claude visibly jumped in his seat, turning gradually away from the window. "I remember much about them and how my friends and I banished them those years ago: the near destruction of the universe is not something I'll soon forget," Claude began. "But I'll have to review the statistics and events that have happened thus far to the Earth Federation by the Ten Wise Men, to see if they've become stronger or changed their tendencies of attack and such." Then he sighed and his head drooped, "Though I suspect very much that they have become stronger in the years they were dead."

Christa scowled. "You killed them then, Commander Kenni?" Christa wanted to call him by his first name, like he'd told her to when she had encouraged him to talk back in the Tolden, but she figured that he was still angry that she couldn't control her jealousy. She decided to play it safe and call him by the title he was entitled to. "Why did they not stay dead? Why have their spirits returned?"

Claude shrugged his shoulders. "I can't say exactly what is happening, but I do know, from what Agent Sinclare told us, that the Ten Wise Men couldn't have been killed in the first place. They weren't biological beings to begin with. Technically, they weren't born: they had been created by Filia's father. So they don't have souls or spirits or the like. This force that has possessed your son, Saunders, is an energy, leftover from when my friends and I destroyed the Ten Wise Men three years ago."

Second Commander Saunders had choked up when Claude mentioned his son, but managed to ask another question that was on his mind, "How did their energy survive?"

Claude shrugged again. "Again, I can't say for certain, but I suspect that Filia had something in her possession that housed their entities. From Agent Sinclare's story, he accounted that Filia had referred to the mineral the scientists found as her child, though she then claimed that it was the Crest of Annihilation...perhaps she had recovered it after the Final Battle, and survived the destruction of Energy Nede by tagging along with my group; like my group had accompanied the Ten Wise Men from Expel to Energy Nede accidentally before. The Ten Wise Men had probably conducted some spell to make the Crest appear dormant, and then perhaps invested some of their energies into it, so that when my friends and I thought we'd destroyed them completely, a little piece of each of them had survived. Keeping a hold of the dormant Crest when she followed us back to Expel ensured that the Ten Wise Men still existed, and over the past three years they've probably laid low to let their energies build up again, though they tormented Filia until she was so mad that they could easily take possession of her body and wield her to carry out their mission all over again: the destruction of the universe."

Christa gasped, "If they tricked you before, how will you be able to defeat them now? They've probably got another trick prepared so that, when you do destroy them again," Christa had great faith in this one man she loved so dearly, "they'll still survive."

Claude sighed with reluctance. "There's only one thing we can do: destroy their conduit, Filia."

Now Second Commander Sauders gasped: he still wanted his son back, but he knew that Agent Stark had fallen in love with the part of Filia that was not possessed, and couldn't bare seeing his son, when he was saved, come out of this war with a broken heart. "Murder an innocent woman, Commander Kenni? That goes against all that the Earth Federation stands for."

"But its the only thing I'm certain can be done. She is the daughter of the inventor of the Ten Wise Men. She survived their destruction before only to unknowingly carry their existence on, and succumb to their possession so that they have become as powerful as they are now again. Innocent she may be, but she is the only link the Ten Wise Men have to the universe. And they are using her to try to destroy it again. Do you not agree that the sacrifice of one for the sake of the billions living across the span of space would be an option?"

Second Commander Saunders was struck, but Christa was quietly contemplating something she'd read in her history books in school. "Like the Crucifixion," she explained softly.

All three men, Claude, Saunders, and the pilot, caught their breath.

Christa continued. "The extreme sacrifice. Of the Lord's only Son, dying for the sake of many who didn't know or didn't care. Filia's predicament is twin to the Holy event millennia before us."

Saunders was aghast. "You're thinking that we are targeting our Salvation?"

A tear fell from Christa's eye. "We're re-enacting the Greatest Sin of All."

"We don't know that Filia is our savior, Assistant Brice," Claude explained. "So far we only know that her role is of the Savior's Betrayer, denying the Good as the Evil overcomes her. She has aided in the revival of our path to Annihilation."

"Then the Ten Wise Men are like the Savior's friend who was Raised from the Dead. They believed in Filia: they were resurrected. What can they tell us about what they've learned when they were dormant?"

"They are not here to help us, Assistant Brice. They have returned to destroy us."

"All things in existence have a purpose, Commander Kenni. What would the Ten Wise Men be if they were not evil?"

"They were created for the sole purpose of evil, Assistant Brice. Are you defending their actions? Do you think they have a right to try to kill us all?"

"We certainly had it coming. We're human: it is in our nature to sin. Plus, we did murder our Holy Savior. Perhaps this Apocalypse is our punishment for that Sin we have barely tried to repent for in the last five millenniums."

"Touché," Second Commander Saunders's awe of Christa's debate escaped him.

Claude turned around in his seat to face Christa. "If what you're saying is true, then we can only go ahead with the plan: kill Filia. The way the Holy Book tells the tale of the Crucifixion, it shows that there was no other way to deal with the event: the Lord's Son _had_ to be murdered by his people in order to show them their flaws as humans, and show them how miserable life is without his presence. We had to murder him, so that we could believe. And there was no other possible way of making us believe. We couldn't have not sacrificed him and still acquired the faith we have now."

"But the Lord had created us with those flaws: so he meant for us to eventually murder his one Son, our Holy Savior."

"Blasphemy!" the pilot exclaimed.

"But it is the way we are that proves that--if it was indeed a supreme God and not evolution that rendered us as we are!"

Claude had to listen to the reason in his head, "Assistant Brice, this is not a repetition of the Greatest Sin of All. This is coincidence, with your reasoning, that the situation appears to be like that of the Crucifixion. Filia is not our Savior, the Ten Wise Men are not like he who was Raised from the Dead, and we are not the condemnors of her. We are trying to survive. We must murder Filia to end the Evil. We are not killing her so that she can prove to us our flaws and need for faith. I need faith that we'll defeat them. Do you trust me, Assistant Brice?"

Defeated in the debate, Christa glanced to Second Commander Sauders and the pilot for backup. Both looked away. Christa had been trying to defend the innocence of Filia, the innocence that Claude was saying was not like the innocence of Christ as he was condemned. Because of this, Filia seemed even more like Salvation to Christa: the proof of what Great Sin can do. That Great Sin being the Ten Wise Men, having possessed poor Filia like the greeds of man had plagued the actual Savior. And like the greeds of man, the Earth Federation was prepared to sacrifice Filia to save themselves. 'What would come of Filia after her death?' Christa wondered. The Lord's Son had resurrected after three days...again a mirror of how the Ten Wise Men had resurrected after three years.

Three...a prominent number. The Holy Trinity was made up of three: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Speed Shuttle they were on possessed three new members for the crew of the Calnus II: Commander Kenni, Second Commander Saunders, and Assistant Brice. The people who cared for a young Claude numbered three: his father, Ronixis, his mother, and his aunt, Rachel. Even Opera, helping Rena, had three eyes. And unbeknownst to all, Claude's dearest loved ones would increase to three: Rena, and his children on the way.

But none of this prominence was known entirely yet to anyone at this point. But eventually, three would prove to be invaluable in the resolution of the war.

All Christa could fathom with her vast knowledge was that this war was indeed a twin to the Holy events surrounding the life and death of humanity's sole salvation. When man destroyed Jesus, they had given up the only chance they'd have for forgiveness of all. But technology progressed past its state from that time to its great knowledge here millennia later. Could man invent its own second chance for salvation with this technology? One single man had invented the Evil that was the Ten Wise Man and unleashed suffering upon mankind, the opposite of how one supreme being had created the Good that was Jesus and offered to mankind the opportunity for forgiveness forever. But man had ignored that chance. Would man make the same mistake and ignore the goodness that was once Filia? Women can be mothers, and mothers bear the future. Christa feared that the Earth Federation was going to destroy their future while at the same time they would try to save it in destroying the Ten Wise Men.

"Must Filia be murdered?" Christa finally said.

"Is that why you don't have faith in me, Assistant Brice?"

"I have faith in our Savior, Commander Kenni. Is there no other way to save our universe without sacrificing her?"

Claude turned back around in his seat and sighed. "We can look for another way if we have time. But as of yet, I do not see any other solution. If you feel the need to, Assistant Brice, I give you permission to seek that alternate solution."

Christa smiled weakly. "I will do my best, sir."

The Tolden soared up and away from Expel's atmosphere, its commander having realized that she had to get back to her nephew as soon as possible.

Efforts had been arranged aboard the vessel to utilize fuel to its full potential, as speed was now the topmost priority. Traveling normally the Tolden would take a week to catch up with the speed shuttle Claude was on: to reach the Calnus II as it hovered about Milocinia's orbit, Milocinia being the poor planet the Ten Wise Men had taken refuge on after they had attacked earth and the Earth Federation. Thankfully, the crew on the Tolden had managed to compound the fuel, limiting their minimum time to only four days. Four days for Rena to worry across about the state of her husband.

"Oh, Claude, I hope you're safe..." the Nedian muttered to herself while she paced the bridge of the Tolden.

Following the conversation amongst Rena, Opera and Rachel, the Tolden's commander had a revelation, and realized her true purpose in life. Now it seemed like all women were on the same side, as prior Rachel had despised her nephew, but now determined she would have to cooperate with Claude's friends if she were to aid in his mission of stopping the Ten Wise Men. Immediately after the debate, Rachel had agreed with them and turned her ship around, Rena was left to worry about her husband, and ever-practical Opera was keeping an eye or two or three on the goings-on of the Tolden.

"Nice ship you got here," Opera strolled casually up to a guard on the bridge. Waiting to reach Milocinia, the Tetragenes figured she could spend a little time learning more about the Earth Federation.

"A great craft for Commander Rachel to serve on," the guard remained statuesque as his jaw rolled to answer.

"Think there'd be any way I could get my hands on something like this?" Opera turned and surveyed the walls. "I could really go places with this size and speed.....I could just float in space forever."

"Don't think so," he muttered.

"And why not? I've got just as much spirit and gusto as the next girl, I could probably be a good commander."

"Doubt it."  
"Tell me why," Opera peered at the gargantuan skeptically, hands on her hips as she had abandoned her huge gun in a leaning position against a nearby pillar.

A weird grin slid across the guard's face. Knuckles white in grip on his weapon, he bent down slightly to look Opera level in her eyes. "The Earth Federation only hires humans."

Opera, shocked, took a step back. "They should try some other races."

"They never will. Everyone knows humans are best. We don't want any inferiors thinning the reputation," that wicked smirk of his grew broader and more lecherous in his mockery.

"You're disgusting," Opera spat at the racist.

"Are you three-eyes people deaf, too? I just said that your folk were the disgusting ones and the Federation doesn't need you and doesn't like you."

"You jerk!" Opera reeled on him, reaching to slap him to make him listen to his conscience.

The prejudiced guard immediately aimed his gun--but missed Opera when he pulled the trigger.

But the gunshot noise roused everyone on the bridge to the argument taking place. But Opera was still determined to teach that bully a lesson, regardless of the fact that he was armed and her gun was not in her confident grip. She was a strong girl, she figured she would teach him the lesson without aid of her fancy machine. Serve him right for his disgusting mind.

Until he aimed better the second time.

"Stop right now!" Commander Rachel's voice raised above the conversation of the crew on the bridge, so surprised were they that a fight had broken between people who should be working together and focused on reaching Commander Kenni.

"Opera!" Rena exclaimed as she motioned to run an help her friend.

But then the second shot had occurred. And Opera fell back.

By that time Rena had grabbed the only defensive thing she could recognize: Opera's massive gun. And before she'd had a chance to aim straight and true, against Opera's oppressor, her nervous finger had squeezed the trigger.

A blast and a bar of light were seen by all on the bridge. Then the ship slightly shuddered as the metal wall behind the racist exploded. The guard had ducked and the shot had narrowly missed him, but fellow guards still rushed up to protect him. They created a shielding circle protecting the prejudiced guards, and stood aiming their own guns directly at the Nedian sprawled on the floor in front of them, Rena having fallen back and dropping Opera's weapon due to the force, power and velocity, of its shot.

"Don't you dare!" Opera hissed at the guards through the pain shooting up her arm. She quickly clasped her other hand over the wound she'd received on her arm, then glared at the men. "That woman is carrying the child of Commander Kenni! You want to be the ones to take credit for the injury of the Earth Federation's hero's wife and baby?"

The guard who'd ducked from the blast Rena had set off glared coldly at the women through the legs of his fellow guards who surrounded him. But those guards aiming their weapons at Rena began thinking twice about their actions, and looked uneasily at one another while still holding their guns pointing at the unarmed Nedian.

"That's enough!" Commander Rachel's voice broke through the tension. She firmly walked towards the group, a loathing glint in her eye.

Rena turned to face her husband's aunt, worried that Rachel may not understand who was the victim in the situation. Rachel began stalking towards the rivaling groups.

"What the Hell is going on here!?" the Tolden's Commander looked expectantly at Opera, who scowled back as she seethed that the Commander would allow for a prejudiced individual to carry out missions that were meant to help all peoples to be a part of the crew, then turned her glance to stare at the guards of her crew. The men who had previously pointed their weapons at the pregnant Nedian, then faltered when the Tetragenes woman demanded they let Commander Kenni's family alone, now completely dropped their aims when faced with their own Commander.

"Now! Someone tell me what's happened here! Why is my ship being destroyed from the inside out!?" Rachel's face turned red as she shuddered in her anger.

"That's a racist your guards are protecting, Commander Rachel," as she tried to point with her wounded arm, her good arm's hand clasped over the wound, Opera's eyes burned as she looked to the man cowering behind the guards' legs.

Rachel's eyes grew wide in disbelief. "Phillips? All along you've lied when you swore upon the Earth Federation's Charter? To serve and protect the different peoples and planets the Earth Federation's missions are meant to aid?"

The guards who had been shielding the prejudiced man now walked away, ashamed that they had tried to protect a hypocrite. Exposed, Phillips panicked, glowering at Opera and Rena, then trying to appeal with pleading eyes to his Commander. "...I mean to service the Earth Federation to the best of my abilities, Commander," Phillips struggled to his feet, and weakly saluted Rachel: a polite gestured in an attempt to play the part of the victim. "The Earth Federation is something that employs the Earth: a society of humans. I see this as validation of my beliefs: that humans are the superior race of the universe..."

"That doesn't give you grounds to patronize those of a different species! Especially with reason that they don't deserve to exist!" Rachel spat.

"But, Commander Rachel, I didn't mean--" Phillips tried, but was cut off.

"...you meant that the Earth Federation is foolish to aid other peoples! That's treason to the Earth Federation! You don't deserve to be a part of the Earth Federation, Phillips!"

"B-but, Commander Rachel, p-please..." Phillips stuttered, realizing he had sealed his own demise within the Earth Federation. All because he thought three eyes to be ugly.

"NO! Phillips, I hereby discharge you from the Earth Federation! You are no longer on this mission, and no longer a part of the renowned concordant of galaxies!" she reached claw-curled fingers out surely, and ripped the badge off of Phillips's jacket from over his heart. She dropped it to the metal floor, the sound of it clattering perking all ears that were on the bridge. Then Commander Rachel took a step back, glaring at her former crew member, before barking an order over her shoulder to the guards who were, moments before, protecting Phillips.

"Take him to the holding cell!" Rachel demanded, and immediately two guards rushed forward, each taking one of the shocked Phillips's arms, and gradually escorted him out the entrance doors.

As soon as Phillips had been escorted out, Opera and Rena sighed with relief. Rachel also sighed, then immediately turned her attention to Rena.

"Rena? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" Rachel was so concerned for her future grandniece or grandnephew.

Rena chuckled. "Yes, Commander Rachel, I'm all right," she started as she rubbed her belly. "But it is Opera that we should be worried about," she glanced over at her friend as Rachel helped Rena get to her feet.

"Thanks, Rena," Opera smiled, still seated on the floor with her hand squeezed around the wound on her upper arm. Rachel and Rena were then right beside her.

"Oh, my, I am so sorry, Opera," Rachel apologized. She tried not to kneel in the slight blood that had pooled on the bridge's floor. A couple of guards also rushed forward to help. They were ones that had protected Phillips before, and now sought to redeem themselves by offering the three-eyed woman their strength to help her up. Accepting their support, Opera managed to get to her feet, but hissed when her wounded arm was moved. Rena and Rachel also jumped to their feet.

"...how bad is it?" Opera smiled down at her blue-haired friend as the Nedian's fingers probed against the seared flesh after they'd pushed apart the torn fabric of her jacket. Opera held her breath, enduring the pain as Rena investigated the injury.

"...I'm not sure. I've never encountered a wound of this nature before..." Rena bit her lip as she tried to think what she could do.

"...wait a minute. Rena, you're a doctor?" Commander Rachel asked suspiciously.

"She's a Nedian. She has the power of healing," Opera beamed for her friend.

"...really? I didn't know there was such a thing," Rachel was awed even further by her nephew's young wife.

"Opera, we should get you to lie down somewhere where I can work on this better," Rena resolved.

"Oh! Yes, that sounds good!" Rachel agreed. "Guards! Let's take her to the infirmary!" she told the men supporting Opera.

"'Let's'?" Rena glanced uncertainly at Commander Rachel.

Rachel smiled appealingly. "If you don't mind, Rena, I'd like to see your magic at work."

Rena smiled appreciatively, "Sure."

And so the five people left the bridge, Commander Rachel leaving the rest of the crew in the room with orders to keep flying as fast as they could after Commander Kenni's Speed Shuttle.

"I'm sorry, Opera," Rena shamefully looked away. "My powers of healing seem to be unable to rectify the radioactive damage surrounding your wound."

"These humans have created awful weapons," Opera smiled gently and forgivingly at her friend.

Upon entering the infirmary and explaining the situation at hand to the doctor, Rachel had frightened the little man with mention of Commander Kenni and the blue-haired woman being Claude's wife. And though the doctor avoided Rena at first, he became quite entranced with her when he witnessed her healing skills at work. In fact, as soon as the men had brought Opera in, he was about to set to work on her with needle and thread, but then Rachel had stopped him so that Rena could attempt to restore it faster.

But draining herself of her magic energies to their limit--which was restricted further due to the fact that she was pregnant and had to save energy to keep the baby inside safe--did not seem to fully cure Opera's injury. Rena had been able to stop the bleeding and seal the skin, but the damage within was still present, as her powers had not been enough to reverse the effects of a modern laser gun that the Earth Federation armed its members with.

Rena sighed. "The best thing to do would be to let your body heal itself. If I try to force my powers upon your injury, they may react dangerously with the nuclear energy and cause more harm than good. I'm sorry..."

Opera placed the hand of her good arm on the Nedian's shoulder. "I appreciate all your help, Rena. But like you said, I should wait. After all, they say that time is the best medicine."

Rena smiled weakly back. "...so they say. Unfortunately, time is not the best for me. For the longer I am away from Claude, the more desolate I feel."

"Hey," Opera began firmly, reassuringly squeezing Rena's shoulder, "we will reach him in time. We will ensure he returns home with you."

"Thank you, Opera," Rena clasped her own hand over Opera's on her shoulder, expressing her gratitude.

The whole time Rena had been concentrating upon Opera, Rachel and the doctor and the guards that had helped the Tetragenes woman into the infirmary had been sitting and staring silently, eyes wide as they watched the indigenous magic of a Nedian at work. They had read and heard about the race of Nedians, read in history books about the Arms Laboratory that had been on Nede, heard about Energy Nede when the same force that had destroyed the Calnus and Ronixis Kenni had finally been banished and enveloped the weird landmass as it did so. They had had no idea that Claude and Rena and their band of heroes had each been affected by these two Nedian homes, and that both Nedian habitations had played important parts to the eventual destruction of the Ten Wise Men. At least, before. Now the Ten Wise Men were back, and there were no more Nedian planets to help in the Annihilation of the Evil once more. There was only the actual people who had led in their destruction before: Claude and Rena. And one of the two was Nedian. It appeared as though being a Nedian was an important advantage when going up against the Ten Wise Men. Now, more than ever, Rachel was convinced that Rena had to be by her husband's side. If not to fight the Ten Wise Men directly, then to support the human who'd led the final battle against Indalecio before.

"...that's amazing," Rachel said quietly, as much to the powers Rena had just displayed as to the fact that two teenagers of different cultures and different backgrounds had managed to cooperate with each other and many others, and managed to banish the very powerful Ten Wise Men once before. And now that those two teenagers had grown up and married and were very much in love, Rachel wondered if that power would be able to benefit them a second time against the Ten Wise Men.

Rena smiled appreciatively. "It has proven to be a very valuable talent, though as I have now seen its limits," she looked ruefully at Opera's wounded arm as the doctor approached to begin wrapping it up, "I fear that I may not have enough strength to save the people close to me during this war." The Nedian turned away, tears of shame and fear welling in her eyes.

"Don't say that!" Opera commanded. "Rena, whatever you've done is greatly esteemed, and though you are restricted with your pregnancy and the extreme damage of the Earth Federation's weapons," she cast a knowing glance in Rachel's direction, "everything you've accomplished has always been too generous."

"Yes, Rena, we are ALL glad that you are helping us out," Rachel smiled, ignoring the truth that some--Phillips--did not appreciate her presence.

"...but, you are helping me. How have I helped you?" Rena faced her husband's aunt.

Rachel smiled broadly. "Your mere existence to Claude's life is of great help: he has found someone with whom to spend his life with--and that's a very important sense of accomplishment and purpose to him. And your healing skills, as displayed upon Opera, will no doubt be valuable to you and your loved ones during this harsh time. And finally, you have helped us to better understand what we will be going up against: you and Claude, and Opera as well, have all faced the Ten Wise Men before, so with your knowledge the Earth Federation will be able to prepare better against this evil force."

Rena blushed, "Well...thank you."

Rachel returned generously, "You're welcome. Now then, Opera, I suggest you stay here in the infirmary, to rest up and get that wound healed the rest of the way as soon as possible. The doctor will help you with anything you need. And Rena, you may return with me to the bridge, and perhaps we should discuss what ideas you have about what the Earth Federation should do next."

So Opera stayed behind while Commander Rachel and a fragile Rena left for the bridge. The two women, a generation apart though their goal for the time being was the same, were escorted down the corridors by the two guards that had supported Opera.

Meanwhile Rachel was formulating her own plans before she even talked with Rena. Rachel had made the connection that Rena was Nedian, and the Ten Wise Men were created by a Nedian. There was something about this blue-haired being that Rachel was not sure she should fully trust yet. The Ten Wise Men were obviously a formidable foe, and their powers were none that the Earth Federation had faced before--even though Ronixis had gone against them before, now they seemed to be even more in power. And Rachel was unsure if her nephew, with his heart given over to the love of a Nedian woman, was able enough to go against the Evil again. Since Ronixis, an elder and more experienced Commander, had not been able to stand up to the Heraldry of an alien malignancy, what advantage did a young, inexperienced (though experienced with the Ten Wise Men) Commander have against those he thought he'd banished, but had returned to even more power? Wouldn't Rena be a distraction? And, perish the thought, could Rena actually be a diversion? Rachel had had experience with missions before that called for the defense of one race versus another, but as it turned out, the two rivals were actually a lure for the Earth Federation, as the races despised the human congregation and wanted it destroyed. Was Rena some form of lure? Had she been sent by the Ten Wise Men as bait? Did she, in her seeming struggle to destroy the Evil, save them for a later time when the Earth Federation was weakened? Was her 'love' for Claude a diversion to keep him apart from the Federation so that the Ten Wise Men could rebuild their powers? She was Nedian like them, so there was the possibility that she was their ticket back to the universe. Was she, indeed, an enemy as well?

But she was pregnant. By Claude. The Ten Wise Men's enemy. Had this been an accident of the diversion, or was she truly innocent, and actually in love with Claude and undeniably against the Ten Wise Men? Rachel wondered: was Rena the diversion or the deliverance? Was she there to help save them or there to help destroy them?

And as the Commander and her nephew's wife returned to the bridge, Rachel was thinking of a way to make Rena prove or disprove her loyalty. The Nedian should have seen it coming: the investigation should be a part of Earth Federation protocol. She was a threat to one side of the war or the other, regardless of her physical condition. And Rachel would be the wise Commander to determine that.


End file.
